Far from a done deal, border plan must confront law enforcement authority, budget woes, need for political will.
Canada and the United States last week announced a mammoth undertaking to reshape their relationship and build a new bilateral fortress, one that analysts say drives the relationship forward on several fronts, but remains silent on price tags and legal issues surrounding cross-border policing.
"These agreements create a new, modern order for a new century," said Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Dec. 7 in Washington, alongside US President Barack Obama, as they announced the results of nine months of talks: the Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness Action Plan, and the Regulatory Cooperation Council Joint Action Plan.
The perimeter plan released to the public establishes commitments and names which departments and agencies are responsible for getting things done. A long list of deadlines runs through the document, reaching forward to 2016 (see page 5). By the end of 2012, dozens of changes to how Canada interacts with the world will be in the pipeline. (...more)
