Hey Washington, At Least We're Not Mexico

Open the border and let the free trade roll!

With Stephen Harper meeting Barack Obama Friday for landmark talks that could drastically reshape our border agreement with the U.S., this Sun Media editorial argues that the prime minister’s top priority should be to calm the nerves of skittish American politicians, some of whom still believe the 9-11 hijackers entered through Canada. Harper “must assure [Obama] the sky is not falling,” says the Sun. “And he must tell American legislators to chill out, take a pill if necessary, but to avoid panic and knee-jerk responses.” Fair enough, but the Sun even takes issue with Sen. Joe Liberman’s statement that “there are more Islamist extremist groups in Canada than in Mexico,” which seems to The Mark Newsroom to be factually true, if not necessarily reason enough to build a border fence along the 49th parallel.

Dave Battagello of the Windsor Star predicts Harper will have a tough time winning concessions because Canada has done little in response to U.S. requests to tighten border security. “[U]ntil this country spends more on intelligence, front-line inspectors and electronic screening technology, any demands on President Barack Obama to ease restrictions on Canadian goods and visitors entering the U.S. will fall on deaf ears,” he writes.

The National Post’s John Ivison says that the current turmoil in Egypt could give Harper an unexpected advantage in ensuring that products from the oil sands are not heavily taxed when they cross the border, a plan put forward by vocal U.S. environmental groups. “Given the escalating uncertainty in the Middle East, the time to make Canada’s case as a growing, predictable supplier will never be better,” writes Ivison. “Harper may find he’s pushing against an open door when he meets Mr. Obama at the end of the week.”

The Toronto Star’s James Travers thinks Harper is making a mistake by not committing to allowing Parliament to debate the terms of any agreement Ottawa reaches with Washington. With major issues like sovereignty and trade at stake, Travers says “Harper is asking too much if he expects Canadians to trust bargaining to a leader infamous for secrecy, control and wedge politics.”