Thread: Business group fights American view that Canadians are lax

http://www.canada.com/businesscentre/st ... 64e725a4ee


Business group fights American view that Canadians are lax about security

Beth Gorham
Canadian Press


Tuesday, July 12, 2005


WASHINGTON (CP) - Canadian business leader Perrin Beatty fought back Tuesday against American perceptions that Canada isn't serious enough about anti-terrorism, arguing that turning the border into an armed camp is no solution.

Beatty, appearing before a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on border security, said Canada is the one country on al-Qaida's terror hit list that has yet to be attacked.

"Values of freedom and diversity make a country a target," he said. "Canadians are pretty much aware of this. We see (improved security) not simply as doing the right thing for the United States."

But outside the hearing, Beatty admitted there's more work to do in educating Canadians about American fears and that "no free society is safe," particularly after the devastating bombings in London last week.

"Every Canadian, when their kids go off to school in the morning is confident that their child is going to come back in the afternoon," he said.

"Americans for a long time after Sept. 11, 2001, didn't have that confidence and it's not surprising that their focus would be security issues.

Beatty, president of the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, spoke a day after Public Safety Minister Anne McClellan said Canadians aren't prepared for the psychological fallout of a terrorist attack and think that Canada's lack of participation in the U.S.-led Iraq war will somehow keep them safe.

The hearing largely focused on the flood of illegal immigrants from Mexico. More than 1.1 million were apprehended trying to enter the United States illegally from there in 2004, compared with 10,000 from Canada.

But Democratic Senator Joe Biden from Delaware raised American views that Canadians are lax about security.

"There's a cynicism afoot" that Canadians think it's a lot better to let potential terrorist cross into the United States and avoid an attack, said Biden.

And Barack Obama, a Democrat from Illinois, pointed to perceptions that Canada's immigration system is overly generous.

"We have to get the message out to Americans that we take this seriously . . . that their security is better provided for by working with Canada than by hardening or militarizing the border," said Beatty.

He told the committee it makes more sense to push security boundaries out and improve intelligence to catch potential problems before they reach North America, whether it's an airline passenger of a suspicious piece of cargo on a ship.

Beatty argued that Canada and the United States are leaving their economies "hostage" to terrorists with slow movement on improved border crossings, something that's costing an estimated $12.5 billion Cdn a year in losses.

More bridges and other infrastructure would help the economic hit from a devastating terrorist attack, he said.

Canadian business leaders and politicians have stepped up lobbying efforts on faster action to improve old border crossings in recent months.

Prime Minister Paul Martin has raised the issue with President George W. Bush.

WOWIE ZOWIE!! This US Senate Foreign Relations Committee invited EVERYBODY but Americans to their hearings on "border security". You ca tell the Mr. Beatty from the Canadian and Manufacturers and EXPORTERS Association doesn't want a militarized zone....that might be BAD FOR BUSINESS!!

Well....you know what....I'm just sick and tired of hearing what foreigners from foreign lands think about our borders.

Close the darn borders; seal them up tight as a drum; we can protect our own borders; we don't need Canada and Mexico to protect the United States. They won't anyway. All they want is our money or our purchasing power. NO disrespect Canada, we love you guys up there, but what we do here regarding our borders is our business and you should have declined the silly and foolish invitation to speak at our Congressional Hearing on border security, the Number One Issue in the United States between the people of the United States and our government.

You've probably made alot of Americans angry now we aren't going to look so favorably upon those "Made in Canada" stickers.

Please, stay out of our Politics!

Thanks!!