Harper concerned with U.S. passport-type policy
Updated Sat. Apr. 1 2006 11:18 AM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Canadians will have to get used to the fact they will soon be required to present a passport-like document every time they visit the U.S.
Harper had to acknowledge Friday that all the lobbying on this issue by Canadian governments and businesses have failed to change Washington's stance.
Speaking at a news conference in Cancun, Harper said he's instructed Minister of
Public Safety Stockwell Day to meet with his U.S. counterpart as soon as possible on the issue.
"I think what we've got to start to do is to put emphasis on is how we're going to resolve this problem. We're running out of time," said Harper.
But he conceded: "It is an American law. I don't think there's any prospect of Congress changing that law between now and the deadline."
In 2004, the U.S. Congress passed The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. Under the plan, secure documents will be required for land travellers coming to or back into the U.S. as of Dec. 31, 2007.
U.S. President George W. Bush, who was also in Cancun with Harper and Mexico's Vicente Fox for a trilateral summit, said he sympathizes with the problems that this policy might cause.
However, he said there is nothing he can do to change the law.
"Look, I understand this issue has created consternation,'' Bush said.
"Your prime minister made it very clear to me that he's very worried that such an implementation of the law on the books will make it less likely that people will want to travel between our countries."
But Bush said he believes there are ways to "facilitate travel" and "facilitate trade" while improving border security with the use of certain technologies, such as biometric identification cards with fingerprints.
Washington has been unable, however, to define what kind of documents its citizens should carry.
Critics of the initiative say it will erect a wall with grave implications for business and travel.
"It would slow down the products and the shelves in ours stores, obviously, and our ability to get people across the border," said Annette Verschren, CEO of Home Depot Canada.
Warmer relations
The summit was Harper's first face-to-face meeting with Bush since he took office in January, and relations between the two seemed to be warm.
On Friday, Bush called Harper "a very open, straightforward fella."
"If he's got a problem, he's willing to express it in a way that's clear for all to understand, and that's the way I like to deal with people."
The two leaders have agreed to meet again later this spring.
Harper also announced that Bush and Fox have both accepted invitations to attend another summit in Canada in 2007.
All the leaders described this year's summit as productive.
One initiative to come out of the talks is the establishment of a North American Competitiveness Council that will draw on private industry for ideas to improve all three economies.
The three leaders also discussed ways to deal with a potential avian flu outbreak, and cooperating on energy and innovation policy, Harper said.
On Wednesday, the main topic of discussion was the softwood lumber dispute between Canada and the U.S.
Some progress was made, with Harper reaching an agreement with Bush to resume talks on the contentious dispute.
CTV's David Akin reported that Michael Wilson, the new ambassador to the United States, will lead negotiations on softwood lumber for Canada.
"It's not much of a surprise that the job has been given to him. Pretty much since Day 1 on the job a couple of weeks ago, he's been working on that file," said Akin, reporting from Mexico.
There has been little movement on the softwood lumber file since last August, when a NAFTA panel ruled in favour of the Canadian lumber industry, saying the U.S. was wrong to impose the punitive tariffs.
But Washington refused to abide by the ruling, while the U.S. lumber lobby continued to pressure Congress to maintain the tariffs.
