MP Not Celebrating Border Agreement

Windsor West MP Brian Masse is not celebrating Wednesday's agreement between Canada and the U.S. over the costing of the new border crossing between Windsor and Detroit.Transport Minister Lisa Raitt told the House of Commons Canada will pay 95% of the cost of building the new bridge and the $250-million cost of building a customs plaza on the U.S. side. Under the public-private partnership, that cost will be recouped through future tolls.

Masse, the NDP border critic says that's like charging Windsorites twice, the first time through their taxes. "At first you might think that that's okay, but the reality is tolls are mostly paid by local people crossing the border, so we end up fronting the lion's share of the deal."

"Having to front this is not fair," he says. "It's not fair for our economy. It's not fair for tourism. It's not fair for the way we actually interact with our friends and relatives on the American side. We end up becoming an experiment for the government, and I think that's wrong."

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder says the U.S. will pay to staff, operate and maintain the customs plaza, which Masse says raises a new question. "Were we going to pay for them, as well?"