Premiers, governors promote open border (North American common market)

www.thestar.com ^ | 27 Aug 2002 | Alexander Panetta

[It'salmosttolate]

Premiers, governors promote open border
Red tape, security delays blamed for fall in Canada-U.S. border traffic

By Alexander Panetta Canadian Press

QUEBEC — North America will lose out to Europe in the new global economy unless Canada and the United States open their border, delegates to a gathering of New England governors and Eastern Canadian premiers said today.

North America is hampered by red tape at the border while other parts of the world are erasing barriers, said the leaders attending the opening session of the two-day annual conference.

"If we're going to maintain the standard of living and the lead that we've had in North America, I think we have to strengthen the way we do things here and not look at each other as competition," said Nova Scotia Premier John Hamm.

"We have to look at the growing challenge that the European Union presents to us.

"We have to look at the growing challenge that will come again from Japan . . . from China."

Border traffic fell 4.2 per cent last year between Canada and the U.S., due in large part to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Security delays and red tape are part of the problem, some say.

Meanwhile, companies in the European Union benefit from free circulation of goods through open borders.

There's no reason North America can't enjoy those same privileges, said Maine Gov. Angus King.

"It doesn't make any sense to me that you can now drive without slowing down between France and Germany — two countries that have had a whole handful of wars in the last couple of centuries," King said.

"And you have to go through an interrogation at the longest peaceable border in the history of the world."

New Brunswick Premier Bernard Lord volunteered to write a resolution calling on the Canadian and American federal governments to facilitate border trade.

However, P.E.I. Premier Pat Binns warned other delegates to proceed with caution.

"We have to think this through very carefully," Binns said.

Food safety is one example where it's necessary to have inspections at the border, he said.

Trade, the environment and energy planning were among the top agenda items for the meeting of representatives from six New England states and five Eastern Canadian provinces.

Lord said New Brunswick will join the other provinces and states in a deal to share emergency resources.

He plans to join Newfoundland, Quebec, Massachusetts, Vermont, Rhode Island and Connecticut in signing the International Emergency Management Assistance Compact.

The agreement sets out guidelines for working together in the case of emergencies such as ice storms or other natural disasters, and possible terrorist threats. It is also designed to cut red tape and speed the distribution of medicine, food and emergency personnel.

Maine, New Hampshire, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island are already part of the agreement.

[Militiaman7]

Lets annex Canada.

[Black Agnes]

Hey, maybe we CAN give NE to Canada after all!!! Yippeee!!!

[Malcolm]

Let's don't.....

[Militiaman7]

This would be a great opportunity. More than double our land mass.

Look at all the natural resource we could get. Plus most Canadians are more or less conservative. (Their government sucks). As an extra it would be one less border to watch.

[marron]

The US alone is as large as the EU. The large, unified market that the US represents is the reason the EU was formed in the first place, in an effort to create in Europe what the US already had.

The US and Canada have been fairly open to one another all along. Pre-NAFTA, I have met many Canadian workers here, union members who were working in the US through their US union afiliate.

And Canadian investors have been busy buying up key US urban property.

The closed border is in the other direction. It is Canada that is determined to keep the wall up, in order to protect Canadian culture from being overwhelmed.

Nevertheless, I agree that bringing down the barriers between us is a great idea. That was the point behind NAFTA. But Canada's problems are not going to get better if she continues to socialize her economy, and continues to leave herself open to uncontrolled immigration.

In fact, that would be my main concern, that by opening the doors to Canadians we are opening the door to a flood of non-Canadian immigrants that couldn't get a US visa directly. We should not consider open borders with Canada until Canada gets her immigration policy under control.

[IronJack]

"If we're going to maintain the standard of living and the lead that we've had in North America ..."

[to author:] What do you mean "we" Kemo Sabe? You're treating "North America" as some kind of economic monolith, where it is in fact an aggregate of small enclaves, some much more solvent than others. The United States has a far higher standard of living than Mexico for example, and one higher than Canada as well. And a large part of Canada's wealth is subsidence from the US.

So "protecting the standard of living" in North America translates to "elevating Mexico and Canada to the American standard of living at the expense of America." And these kinds of fear tactics are simply being used to force globalism and redistribution on us.

[kaktuskid]

Trade the NE for Alberta, BC, and the Yukon

[Coeur de Lion]

Actually, if Quebec ever succeeds in seceding from Canada it would probably result in Canada itself dissolving with some of it's provinces also seceding and asking for admission as states into the United States. After, that it would be inevitable that its remaining provinces would do the same.

[Malcolm]

We should never admit any Canadian states to the union. They would want out after a few years, and then we'd really have a problem on our hands. We can effect basically the same result once Quebec gains independence. Canada will be considerably weakened by the loss of Quebec and will more closely ally itself with us. As a Southerner, I don't want any more civil wars, (or domestic terrorism, for that matter). If you think absorbing Canada would be a breeze, you haven't heard of Murphy's Law.....

[Snowyman]

Quebec isn't going anywhere. Legally it can't and there are too many bucks in it for them not to stay put. If it could find a way out of Confederation by the time they were done being partitioned they'd be about a 10th of their size today. The Cree of Northern Quebec ( formerly Ungava or roughly one half the size of Quebec. Ungava was given to Quebec to govern after Confederation , ) voted something like 97% to stay in Canada as did several townships and municipalities. If Canada can be partitioned so can Quebec.It's not going to happen.

To those that mumble about Canada joining the USA . Why? What is it you have that we do not? Historically we chose not to be Americans and today if a individual Canadian chooses to become American what's stopping them from moving? With our trade surplus and your deficit and now with your taxes surpassing ours, your border problems ......

[brat]

Suurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrre. A few years ago it was a warning about how we're losing out with that great vacuum for US goods known as China. The only thing vacuumed out of the US was our jobs and livable wages. Here we go again....let's redistribute US wealth and call it opportunity.

[Lion's Cub]

Oh, yeah. The EU's a real threat alright...NOT!

[stand watie]

YEP and with CA,NM & AZ as the new Los Estados Unidos de Azatlan gone too, the Southron Republic will be in FINE shape.

free dixie,sw