Mr. Speaker, the member for Okanagan--Coquihalla knows full well that the alternative documentation in lieu of a passport has always been on the table. What Canadians might not know, though, is the way in which the government has caved in to the U.S. administration in terms of the western hemisphere travel initiative.
Perhaps it was because the U.S. administration promised some resolution to the softwood lumber deal. Is that not interesting? Because the U.S. president had an option last week, and that was not to launch the extraordinary appeal of the NAFTA panel. President Bush decided to do that, so I am not sure what the exchange was, because on both counts, Canada is not very well represented.
I do have a question for the Minister of Public Safety. There are a number of initiatives in the department, I am sure, that I could not find in the budget. One is for measures dealing with counterfeit goods. Goods are coming into Canada and jeopardizing the safety of Canadians, whether they be pharmaceuticals or electrical equipment.
There is also the idea of creating some kind of accountability at our borders for people who might feel that they are being wrongly or unfairly treated. I did not see anything in the budget to deal with this. I know that was an initiative of our government.
There is also the Port of Prince Rupert and the need for customs officers there. I did not see any money in the budget for that.
I wonder if the minister would comment on those items as well.