The following is from the 4 March 2011 edition of "montrealgazette.com".

Three Bloc Québécois members of Parliament were in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, trying to persuade elected officials in Congress to ask the Conservative government to postpone imminent cuts in Canadian border-station services.

The cuts are to take place on April 1. But the Bloc says they should be postponed until the federal government can assess the outcome of new Canada-United States talks on a proposed North American security perimeter.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and U.S. President Barack Obama announced last month in Washington that the two countries plan to begin negotiations to create a security perimeter.

The goal of the negotiations is to explore grounds for an agreement that would see Canada and the U.S. harmonize certain aspects of their respective refugee, immigration and security laws.

The idea of a security perimeter was first brought up by the U.S. after the 9/11 attacks. The U.S. has made it clear it would be more willing to loosen up border controls between it and Canada if Canada were to agree to create new joint continental security controls.

Given last month's announcement, then, Canada should be working toward keeping border stations open - not closing them, the Bloc says…

As a result of changes announced last fall, the Canada Border Services Agency plans to close three border stations on the Canada-U.S. border on April 1 (including two in Quebec), and cut back the operating hours at another four (including three in Quebec).

The two slated for closing are Franklyn Centre and Jaimeson's Line south of Montreal, near the towns of Franklin and Huntingdon. The three to see their hours cut are Glen Sutton, East Pinnacle and Morses Line, in the Eastern Townships. A customs office in the town of Drummondville is to be closed on April 1, as well.

The cuts are the result of a spending review by the CBSA. That review, in turn, is part of a larger review of government spending that the governing Conservative Party promised as part of its 2008 election platform…

This article is available in its entirety on the Montreal Gazette website at:

http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Bloc+talk+border+services/4381814/story.html