Canadians - especially residents in border cities like Windsor - should be alarmed over a border agreement that may include an entry-exit system using digital fingerprints or eye scans to track everyone entering the U.S. and Canada, MP Brian Masse (NDP - Windsor West) said Tuesday.
"We are agreeing to tell the U.S. about every single person that comes in from Canada," said Masse, a member of the federal government's Canada-U.S. border relations committee. "What happens if it's someone they say they don't like?
"What's their response going to be and how will we deal with that?"
But details of the plan are not being released despite indications in Ottawa a new Canada-U.S. security perimeter agreement called Beyond the Border could be signed by Prime Minster Stephen Harper and U.S. President Barack Obama next week when they meet in Washington.
Privacy concerns are at the top of the list should the agreement be approved because digital fingerprinting or iris scans for everybody crossing the border may be included.
"We don't know what they are talking about," Masse said. "I've met with the privacy commissioner (Jennifer Stoddart) and she is still in the dark about what's being promised.
"Privacy laws in the U.S. don't match up with Canada in the way information is collected and data gets used. If we are turning over more information, you have to have an international agreement on how it will work."
Masse confronted the Harper government Tuesday during question period in Ottawa, saying Canadians should not be kept in the dark about what's in the border plan.
"This government is pulling the wool over our eyes," Masse said. "Please tell us what's on the table."
Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird responded by saying the plan is necessary to protect trade-related jobs with the U.S. - especially those in the auto sector in Windsor. But he offered no further details about the agreement.
"(The agreement) remains a work in progress," Baird said.
The agreement has been in the works for nearly a year through a working group composed of officials from several departments of the Canadian and U.S. governments.
It is hoped the agreement will make it easier to cross the Canada-U.S. border for frequent travellers such as commuters in Windsor and truck drivers carrying goods.
But nobody except those involved know what information will have to be shared. The expectation is everybody will be tagged in some fashion until they return home.
"The discussions are being done in a vacuum," said Masse, who wants a full parliamentary review of the plan before it is signed by Harper. "When we do see something will it be too late to address anything?"
The Department of Foreign Affairs, helping to oversee the process, did not respond Tuesday to a request for comment.
The Canadian Trucking Alliance, which represents 4,500 trucking companies across the country, has not expressed any concerns about the agreement.
The association has been consulted frequently during the process, said Jennifer Fox, vice-president of customs and compliance for the group.
"We have worked closely with the government on this so we are cautiously optimistic there will be good things in the action plan."
The hope is U.S. customs will also allow more pre-screenings on low-risk cargo trucks so only suspicious or unknown vehicles are stopped at length, she said.
Truckers already go through intensive background checks in order to qualify for the Free and Secure Trade program, which provides a pre-clearance document for drivers to cross the border. "To be honest I don't know what else is left for drivers crossing the border," Fox said.
Origin
Source: Windsor Star
"We are agreeing to tell the U.S. about every single person that comes in from Canada," said Masse, a member of the federal government's Canada-U.S. border relations committee. "What happens if it's someone they say they don't like?
"What's their response going to be and how will we deal with that?"
But details of the plan are not being released despite indications in Ottawa a new Canada-U.S. security perimeter agreement called Beyond the Border could be signed by Prime Minster Stephen Harper and U.S. President Barack Obama next week when they meet in Washington.
Privacy concerns are at the top of the list should the agreement be approved because digital fingerprinting or iris scans for everybody crossing the border may be included.
"We don't know what they are talking about," Masse said. "I've met with the privacy commissioner (Jennifer Stoddart) and she is still in the dark about what's being promised.
"Privacy laws in the U.S. don't match up with Canada in the way information is collected and data gets used. If we are turning over more information, you have to have an international agreement on how it will work."
Masse confronted the Harper government Tuesday during question period in Ottawa, saying Canadians should not be kept in the dark about what's in the border plan.
"This government is pulling the wool over our eyes," Masse said. "Please tell us what's on the table."
Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird responded by saying the plan is necessary to protect trade-related jobs with the U.S. - especially those in the auto sector in Windsor. But he offered no further details about the agreement.
"(The agreement) remains a work in progress," Baird said.
The agreement has been in the works for nearly a year through a working group composed of officials from several departments of the Canadian and U.S. governments.
It is hoped the agreement will make it easier to cross the Canada-U.S. border for frequent travellers such as commuters in Windsor and truck drivers carrying goods.
But nobody except those involved know what information will have to be shared. The expectation is everybody will be tagged in some fashion until they return home.
"The discussions are being done in a vacuum," said Masse, who wants a full parliamentary review of the plan before it is signed by Harper. "When we do see something will it be too late to address anything?"
The Department of Foreign Affairs, helping to oversee the process, did not respond Tuesday to a request for comment.
The Canadian Trucking Alliance, which represents 4,500 trucking companies across the country, has not expressed any concerns about the agreement.
The association has been consulted frequently during the process, said Jennifer Fox, vice-president of customs and compliance for the group.
"We have worked closely with the government on this so we are cautiously optimistic there will be good things in the action plan."
The hope is U.S. customs will also allow more pre-screenings on low-risk cargo trucks so only suspicious or unknown vehicles are stopped at length, she said.
Truckers already go through intensive background checks in order to qualify for the Free and Secure Trade program, which provides a pre-clearance document for drivers to cross the border. "To be honest I don't know what else is left for drivers crossing the border," Fox said.
Origin
Source: Windsor Star
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