Mr. Speaker, I recently spent two days at the international border crossing at Fort Erie in my riding. I observed the operation of our hardworking customs and immigration officers and discussed various issues with them.
After spending some time observing the procedures on the primary inspection line during the evening shift I became concerned about the lack of sobriety of motor vehicle drivers returning to Canada from the United States.
The public fully expects that our Canadian roads are to be protected from drunk drivers and are of the opinion that our customs officers have the right to detain such individuals. The reality is that our customs officers have no such authority. The inability of our border personnel to lawfully detain suspected intoxicated drivers or demand that they submit to a breathalyser test is unsatisfactory.
I ask the Minister of Justice and the Minister of National Revenue to reconsider the powers of our customs officers with a view to correcting this unacceptable situation.