Keep your eyes clear

Dear sir:
Without a doubt, border-crossing issues are getting worse every year. Outfitters’ business will be down another 10 percent in 2005.
Of course, this is not an isolated issue. We are challenging softwood lumber tariffs and, hopefully, a few dollars out of the millions now flowing to U.S. businesses will make their way back to Canada before the last of our sawmills close.
Industry also hopes to increase Canadian beef-processing capacity in time to keep some of our farmers on the land.
We Canadians are always hopeful and willing to think positively. However, credibility is being stretched past the limit if we think solutions to trade issues will be achieved by attending meetings with Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP Ken Boshcoff.
The only people who are satisfied with Ken’s meetings are people who like going to meetings. What about those “vows and pledges?”
We don’t need more “promises made, promises broken.” We need a federal government that will be more interested in good U.S. relations than obtaining votes.
The Liberals have shown both disrespect and gross neglect dealing with the U.S. (resulting in difficult border crossings).
This government was warned by opposition MPs about upcoming challenges to our wood supply system for years before sanctions were applied, and were told many times that we needed more effective food and agricultural standards to avoid BSE-related trade difficulties.
The Liberal government not only ignored wise counsel, they busied themselves instead with wasteful, useless programs like the firearms registry and sponsorship programs.
The trend of poor U.S. relations is clear, although, for some reason, it gets cloudy at election time. My theory is that the Liberal/NDP chequebook gets so hot during the pre-election, taxpayer-funded phase of a federal election that it smokes—and smoke gets in the eyes.
The scandalous behaviour of the Liberal government will cause an early election. Try to keep your eyes—and ears—clear until then.
Signed,
David Leskowski
Candidate of Record,
Conservative Party
of Canada