Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening on this issue that is so very important for all of Canada but which of course has a specific interest for my riding of Leeds—Grenville, as we are so heavily dependent upon three sectors, agriculture, tourism and manufacturing, all of which depend on the ability to cross the border and go back and forth with the flow of goods and people.
Of course with the tourism issues in your riding of Kingston and the Islands, Mr. Chair, the issues are very similar to those in my riding, with areas along the Thousand Islands that are dependent upon U.S. visitors, as well as the Rideau Lakes. I know that the Rideau Canal also runs into your riding, Mr. Speaker.
This issue is going to have a major economic impact on our country as well as the United States. I think we have to work with our colleagues and our friends on the other side.
I am a member of the border caucus. I recently attended a meeting in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, where we talked about this. It was one of the key issues we talked about that day. What we did hear from one of the American congressmen was that many of the congressmen in the middle states see this as an issue that only has to do with what is going on at the U.S.-Mexico border. They do not understand the economic impact that will hit their own country.
It is up to us and our government to reach out to our allies on the U.S. side to ensure that this does not happen. Only a few weeks ago I was in Alexander Bay, New York, with my provincial counterpart, Bob Runciman. We both spoke at a tourism conference of U.S. tourist operators in upstate New York. People from throughout New York were there. It was a governor's conference. They are very concerned about this issue. They are the people to whom we need to be reaching out to ensure that they are lobbying their government, because they are going to suffer from this as well.
I am very concerned about how our government has treated the relationship with the United States and how we got into this. Canada should have had special status on this issue long before we got to this final period of time when there is only a very short period to lobby on this. We need to use the short time that we have to ensure that our government lobbies and reaches out, but we also need to work with organizations within Canada.
I know that this issue has come to the forefront just in the past month or so, really, and now we are down to the critical time, with just seven days to go. This could be devastating to many people. I will talk about the tourism industry, one that I am very familiar with. Many people are employed in this industry, whether it be in lodging, food, service, transportation or in attractions. The livelihoods of many people depend upon it.
Of course in agriculture it will have an impact on moving back and forth. As for the industry in my riding, we have many plants that export many of their goods to the United States.
Really, I am imploring the government at this point to make sure that it lobbies on this, that it reaches out and builds allies. We have heard from the member for South Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale, who has been working hard as one of our co-chairs on the border caucus. He has worked to ensure that we work together on this.
Now is the time. Time is short. That is why we are having this take note debate tonight. I appreciate the opportunity to get my comments on the record, but the last thing I will say is that now is the time. Let us reach out and solve this problem before it is too late.