Mr. Speaker, the second petition calls on the Canadian government to negotiate with the United States government to reduce Canadian passport fees.
The member for St. John's East explained how tourism has dropped over the last several years and how passports can be expensive. For example, it can cost $500 for an American family of four.
At a mid-west legislators conference held this summer, I was able to get a resolution passed unanimously in the Council of State Governments, consisting of 11 border states and three provinces. The resolution called on the Prime Minister and the President to examine a reduced fee for passports to facilitate cross-border tourism and it encouraged the governments to examine the idea of a limited-time, two-for-one passport renewal or a new application fee. It was further resolved that the resolution be submitted to the appropriate federal, state and provincial governments.
To be a fair process, passport fees must be reduced on both sides of the border. Therefore, the petitioners call on the government to work with the American government to examine the mutual reduction of passport fees to facilitate tourism, and secondly, to promote a limited-time, two-for-one passport renewal or new application fee on a mutual basis with the United States.