Border Security Issue Has High Stakes

By Waterloo-Wellington MPP Ted Arnott

As a result of the US-led Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), there is a strong possibility that cross border travel between the United States and Canada will change dramatically.

By 2008, anyone travelling across the border could be required to have a passport or another secure document in order to enter the United States.

As the Ontario PC Critic for Tourism, I am very concerned about the impact this issue could have on jobs and our economy. I raised the issue in the Legislature in December and called upon the Ontario Minister of Tourism to demonstrate that the Government is aware of the potential impacts, and asked him to outline the steps that they intend to take over the coming months to deal with the issue.

The Ontario Ministry of Tourism has confirmed that the impact of tightened border security could be severe. In an impact study of the WHTI, the Ministry has stated that Ontario could face a loss of 3.5 million US visits to our Province by 2008 and implied that the revenue loss could be significant enough to take 7,000 tourism jobs with it.

In January, after initially suggesting that only passports would be acceptable, the US Department of Homeland Security and Department of State announced that US travellers would require a document called the People Access Security Service (PASS) card to re-enter their country.

On February 6th, I attended a Toronto Board of Trade meeting where The Honourable John Manley and former Governor Tom Ridge, who is also the former US Homeland Security Secretary, were invited to speak about border security. They reinforced the message that there are high stakes for Canada and the United States in the border security issue.

For Canada and the United States, it is in our mutual best interest to make cross border travel as free as possible. The Ontario Government should do everything it can to increase visits from the US, and stand up for Ontario tourism.