Wilson sees benefit in U.S. political shift
December 8, 2006
8 December 2006
Wilson sees benefit in U.S. political shift
This article is excerpted from the 7 December 2006 edition of the “Toronto Star”.
Canada's ambassador to the U.S. suggests the impending power shift to the Democrats in Congress could lead to flexibility on cross-border issues like the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.
"Our sense is that there is going to be a somewhat different approach to border issues," Michael Wilson said Thursday.
"There has been a shift in the leadership in U.S. Congress from the south and southwest more to the northeast where there's a greater affinity towards Canada."
With the softwood lumber dispute settled, Wilson told the Montreal Council on Foreign Relations that the number one issue between the two countries is the travel initiative.
It requires passports for air travellers entering the United States as of Jan. 23, 2007.
Passports or a cheaper new ID will be required to enter the U.S. by land and sea by June 1, 2009, possibly January 2008.
Wilson pointed out that some members of the leadership of the Democratic party live on the border and have been "outspoken supporters of a different perspective" on the travel initiative.
"So our job is to try and find out whether there is some flexibility. . .we hope there is," he added….
The ambassador to Washington said a number of smaller bilateral issues remain on the table, including several agricultural issues.
"BSE (mad cow disease) is probably the most prominent one, we've also had potato issues that affect Quebec, that affect Idaho, things of that order of magnitude," Wilson added.