FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                           

December 8, 2022

 MASSE: Federal Government needs to support border communities by clearing NEXUS backlog, reimbursing Windsor for bridge blockade, and funding CBSA to stop gun smuggling

(OTTAWA) – Today, Brian Masse MP (Windsor West), made the following statement in the House of Commons on the need for the federal government to support border communities with specific actions:

“Mr. Speaker,

Border communities have suffered disproportionately during the pandemic and have yet to fully recover.

Partly this is due to the shutdown of NEXUS centres which has created an over 300, 000-person backlog. NEXUS allows commuters, workers, and travelers in the US and Canada to cross rapidly which is essential to the trade between both our countries, the largest economic relationship in the world.

While the government has opened two NEXUS centres this week, the eleven others need to be opened and the backlog needs to be cleared through new processes and extending existing NEXUS card holders.

In addition, the Windsor Border Blockade was a threat to our national economy and cost the municipality nearly $6 million dollars in policing costs to remove. The federal government has yet to reimburse the city, leaving local taxpayers on the hook for a national security action, becoming a delinquent deadbeat in not paying their bills.

Even on Bill C-21, the Liberals have demonstrated ineptitude by not providing the necessary resources for our CBSA officers to stop gun smuggling.

Ignoring our border communities is poor short-term policy with long term consequences,” Masse stated.

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