Windsor-West MP Brian Masse stood up in the House of Commons Thursday asking for more support for border communities.
He said the federal government needs to reopen all NEXUS centres, pay back the costs of the Windsor Border Blockade and give CBSA officers more tools to protect the border.
"Border communities have suffered disproportionately during the pandemic and have yet to fully recover. Partly this is due to the shutdown of NEXUS centres which has created an over 300, 000-person backlog," said Masse. "While the government has opened two NEXUS centres this week, the eleven others need to be opened and the backlog needs to be cleared through new processes and extending existing NEXUS card holders."
Masse also criticized Bill C-21, which intended to stop gun smuggling. He said the bill does not provide the necessary resources for border officers.
Finally, Masse asked the government why the City of Windsor has not been reimbursed for costs incurred during the blockade.
"The Windsor Border Blockade was a threat to our national economy and cost the municipality nearly $6 million dollars in policing costs to remove. The federal government has yet to reimburse the city, leaving local taxpayers on the hook for a national security action, becoming a delinquent deadbeat in not paying their bills," said Masse.
Masse urged the government to stop ignoring border communities.
