US embassy cable - 04OTTAWA2893

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 OTTAWA 002893 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR EB/TRA; WHA/CAN; WHA - EVELYN WHEELER 
DOT FOR AVIATION AND INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAIR, ECIN, EWWT, ELTN, ASEC, PREL, CA, Transportation, Border Patrol 
SUBJECT: NEW CANADIAN TRANSPORT MINISTER INTERESTED IN 
EXPANDING AVIATION AGREEMENT, ACCELERATING BORDER 
INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS, AND TIGHTENING PORT SECURITY 
 
REF: A) OTTAWA 2876 B) OTTAWA 2766 
 
 SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED--PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY. 
 
1.  (SBU) Summary:  The Ambassador met Minister of Transport 
Jean Lapierre on October 26 and learned his views on 
upgrading the bilateral aviation agreement and accelerating 
infrastructure improvements at land border crossings.  The 
Minister indicated he will push for both, and that port 
security will be assigned a high priority while he is in 
office.  The Ambassador and Minister pledged to keep in close 
contact and to work together on strengthening U.S.-Canada 
transportation links and border security activities.  End 
summary. 
 
2.  (SBU) On October 26 the Ambassador met with new (since 
July 2004) Minister of Transport Jean Lapierre.  The 
Ambassador wanted to make an initial courtesy call and 
congratulate the Minister, and seek clarification regarding 
press reports of early October (reftel B) indicating that 
Lapierre wished to further liberalize the 1995 U.S.-Canada 
air transport agreement. 
 
3.  (SBU) Lapierre told the Ambassador that with Air Canada 
now on its feet, the Government of Canada (GOC) is ready to 
pursue an enhanced aviation agreement.  (Note:  On October 1 
Air Canada emerged from 18 months under creditor protection. 
Septel follows.  End note.)  Lapierre said he had told 
Cabinet that Transport Canada (TC) would prepare a formal 
proposal for how the GOC should proceed in improving the 
aviation agreement.  Lapierre plans to present this proposal 
to Parliament's Transportation Committee and ask its members 
to consider it.  Subsequently, TC intends to publicize a 
final, polished proposal (incorporating Parliament's input) 
and organize nation-wide public debates on its merits. 
Lapierre views an expanded aviation agreement with the United 
States as "a non-partisan issue" and is confident that all 
parties would join the present minority government of Paul 
Martin in endorsing an enhanced agreement--if the Canadian 
public signals it believes such an agreement is in its 
interest.  Lapierre promised to provide more details of the 
TC proposal after it has been vetted with Parliament. 
Lapierre added that Canada will follow with interest U.S.-EU 
aviation negotiations with a view to determining how U.S.-EU 
issues might impact negotiation of a new GOC-U.S. agreement. 
 
 
4.  (SBU) Turning to the land border, the Ambassador reported 
that DHS Secretary Ridge and Deputy Prime Minister McLellan 
had a successful October 14 meeting which produced many 
deliverables.  Significantly, both the U.S. and Canadian 
sides had identified the Windsor-Detroit border crossing as 
"a critical area" that required attention.  The Ambassador 
noted that the two leaders agreed on the need to meet 
personally with the stakeholders and affected communities to 
demonstrate high-level commitment and identify viable 
solutions.  (Comment:  As reported in reftel A, Ridge and 
McLellan, or their representatives, are expected to visit the 
region within the next three months.  End comment.)  Minister 
Lapierre remarked that he had visited the area three weeks 
ago.  He was surprised to be told that the long-term 
solutions can't be operational before 2013.  "That's too 
long," the Minister said.  The Ambassador expressed 
agreement.  The Ambassador continued that in the interim, 
until the long-term solutions are decided upon, the two 
governments should implement short-term fixes for the 
congestion at Windsor-Ontario, such as the recently opened 
new booths that had markedly increased traffic flows. 
Another short-term remedy might be conversion of the railway 
tunnel to a truck tunnel.  The Ambassador suggested that 
Canada and the U.S. should also look at alternative modes of 
transport, such as short-sea shipping to handle all-cargo 
ferries.  Lapierre agreed. 
 
5.  (SBU) Regarding plans for Transport Canada during his 
tenure, Minister Lapierre said that port security is his 
first priority.  Lapierre recalled that during several years 
as a news broadcaster in Quebec, he reported frequently 
("every two weeks") on problems at the Port of Montreal.  He 
said that he wants to see more secure port operations at 
Montreal.  He observed that the registration process for port 
workers requiring background and security checks is a good 
step and one that is endorsed by the teamsters and dock 
workers themselves.  Lapierre urged that the clearance 
STATE FOR EB/TRA AND WHA/CAN 
process not be implemented too quickly, however, or too many 
port workers might abruptly lose their jobs.  The Minister 
said that five percent of current employees do not pass the 
clearance process, and he asked if the United States is 
having a similar problem with clearing port workers. 
 
6.  (SBU) The Ambassador and Minister Lapierre discussed 
other positive U.S.-Canada joint activities, such as 
registration of passengers for NEXUS-air in Vancouver and 
Seattle, Canadian partnership in the container pre-screening 
program at the Hong Kong port, and the joint operations 
between U.S. CBP officers and their Canadian counterparts in 
container targeting at Montreal.  In closing, Minister 
Lapierre said that they had covered all the ground except 
railways, and he proposed that the U.S. and Canada work more 
closely on this mode also.  The Ambassador agreed. 
 
7.  (SBU) Comment:  Minister Lapierre seems enthusiastic 
about his portfolio.  He appears to recognize both the 
challenges and the opportunities that present themselves in 
dealing with Canada's southern neighbor.  With a new 
government in Canada and a revitalized Air Canada, the GOC 
may determine that the time is right to review the aviation 
agreement with the U.S.  We will follow events and attempt to 
facilitate progress in the U.S-Canada transportation and 
border security relationship.  End comment. 
 
8.  (SBU) (FYI:  The GOC just announced appointment of a 
senior experienced intelligence officer as the Minister's new 
Senior Advisor for Security--another hopeful sign that the 
GOC will take transportation security more seriously.) 
 
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CELLUCCI