Mr. Speaker, the majority of my Carleton-Charlotte constituency lies along the 49th parallel between New Brunswick and the state of Maine. There are ten regular border crossing points in Carleton-Charlotte. As I am sure you can appreciate, Mr. Speaker, there are many family ties on both sides of the border.
The citizens of Campobello Island, who are Canadians, must cross the U.S. border twice, first at Lubec, Maine and then drive an hour through the American state and cross again at Calais to arrive at major services in St. Stephen and Milltown, New Brunswick.
The recent proposal by President Clinton suggesting a fee be charged per person and per vehicle entering the United States is both unreasonable and unwarranted.
This proposal would foster unfriendly relations between the two countries which have enjoyed friendly relations for many years. I encourage the Prime Minister and the Ministers for International Trade and Foreign Affairs to address this proposal at once and if necessary again during the President's upcoming visit to Ottawa.