For total U.S. exports to Canada, there are significant declines in trade volumes in at least the second half of 2001 and in 2002. There are smaller effects in 2003. For total U.S. imports from Canada, significant negative effects are found in the 4th quarter of 2001 and in 2002, 2003, 2004, and again in 2008. In general, there is greater evidence of disruption of trade flowing from Canada to the United States than from the United States to Canada. (See article from The Brookings Institution)

How typical of trade relations with America. Asking America for FAIR trade is like asking a liar to be honest with you just this once.

Christopher Sands, Senior Fellow with the Hudson Institute writing for The Brookings Institution wants to improve our trade and has recommendations.

• Create and engage a state-level Homeland Security Network;
• Ensure that performance evaluations of Customs and Border Protection Port Directors and other local representatives of the federal government include assessments of their efforts to develop relationships with local governments and stakeholder groups;  
• Emulate the 30-point U.S.-Canada Smart Border Action Plan on a local level;
• Empower local federal officials in ways that ensure greater lateral communication and resource-sharing without recourse to Washington;
• Congress should authorize funds for a Border Security Pilot Project Challenge Fund to test new ideas;

• Publicly adopt a two-speed approach to the Canadian and Mexican borders;

Canada is to be integrated first. Canada has the natural resources that America wants.

• Reform but do not abandon the Security and Prosperity Partnership;

They will continue the SPP which means ongoing annual meetings at the state leader level. Renaming the SPP or spinning the issue would fall under the "Reform" heading. The agenda remains the same.  

• Form a U.S.-Canada or North American Joint Infrastructure Planning Commission.

Integration of large transportation and energy projects will continue under this new Joint Infrastructure Planning Commission.  

Full Article from the Orange Ville Banner

Bill C-15, proposed by the federal government, aims to establish mandatory minimum sentences for drug offences while implementing longer minimum sentences on those convicted of possessing cannabis.

As part of the protest, Donovan asked marijuana activist Marc Emery, known to most as ‘The Prince of Pot’ to make Orangeville one of his final stops before being extradited to the United States for selling marijuana seeds over the Internet. Emery, called one of the Top 50 most wanted by the US Justice Department, will begin serving a five-year prison term, beginning in either September or October.

“Bill C-15 will add an extra 1,500 to 2,000 people a year to our jails. It will necessitate the building of two new jails every year,” Emery said. “We have got 36,000 total in jail in Canada and that is a very modest number, a very reasonable number. It is still probably the eighth highest percentage in the world, but the United States has the highest percentage of people in jail. … That is because they have mandatory minimums there.”

The police foundations student was inspired to organize the protest due to several factors including the success resulting from Portugal’s decision to decriminalize all drugs in 2001. He also took a cue from an organization called LEAP (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition), comprised of retired and current police officers in the United States who advocate for the end of all drug prohibitions.

At this point in time Bill C-15 has passed the House of Commons and is before the Senate. 

Want to do something about Bill C-15? Contact your Senators!