Incoming U.S. president Donald Trump’s tariff threats and concerns over the border have influenced discussions about security in Canada, something the MP for Windsor West says he’s been attempting to do for years.
NDP MP Brian Masse said Canada needs to restore between 2,000 to 3,000 border officers that were cut during the Harper government and haven’t been restored under the Liberals. In Windsor, he estimates a few hundred Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers are needed, especially as the Gordie Howe International Bridge is set to open late next year.
“It’s rather ironic and actually sad that Donald Trump is proving the case that I’ve made for many years to be true. It’s actually rather disturbing, quite frankly, that it’s taking this to actually get action that’s required,” said Masse.
NDP MP Brian Masse, pictured on Parliament Hill in Ottawa in a 2021 file photo. (The Canadian Press)
The Trudeau government recently promised to enhance monitoring at the border in response to concerns from Trump, who is threatening tariffs on Canadian goods.
Restoring sniffer dogs at the Canadian border is another measure Masse said is desperately needed to help uncover contraband.
Masse has also been trying to get an Order in Council from 1932 rescinded to give CBSA officers more authority at the border. The long-time MP also put forward legislation looking to give CBSA officers the power to seize certain types of contraband.
Windsor-Tecumseh Liberal MP Irek Kusmierczyk said he spoke with the prime minister and the minister of public safety this week about the needs at Windsor’s border crossings.
Kusmierczyk says more resources are coming to the border, but isn’t sure when or how many.
“We’ll see a strengthening of those resources and I’m confident in that,” said Kusmierczyk. “It’s now important to have those conversations with law enforcement agencies. They are the experts. They understand what we need and where it needs to be deployed.
CBSA did not comment on what additional resources it wants at Windsor border crossings or overall. In a statement to CBC News, the agency also said it doesn’t provide details on staffing numbers at specific ports of entry for “operational reasons.”
In an April 1, 2022, file photo, MP Irek Kusmiercyzk announces a compensation package for businesses impacted by the Ambassador Bridge blockade. He is flanked by Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens and Invest WindsorEssex CEO Stephen MacKenzie. (Dale Molnar/CBC)
One of the primary concerns heard by the Customs and Immigration Union, which represents CBSA workers, is officers saying “I can’t do my job anymore,” according to national president Mark Weber.
Weber says guns, drugs and other contraband are getting into Canada more frequently because of a lack of resources.
“A lot of our ports of entry our members spend a lot of time watching things and people go through that they wish they could interview, that they wish they could search, that they really can’t anymore,” said Weber.
