I believe there is a need for a North American Security and Economic Zone

Joe: I believe there is a need for a North American Security and Economic Zone, with Canada's best interests kept at the fore front in the negotiations, which did not happen with FTA or NAFTA.

We need to keep in mind that 80% of our trade is with the USA. That means we supply them with much of their automotive needs, 25% of the energy needs, lumber, coal, and many other things. All of the trade comes from a secure and friendly nation. Canada.

We need to make sure that Canada is getting the respect we deserve, and if need be demand it. We are the best friend the USA can have or has.

We do need to secure our nation from outside threats,which in return will secure the American's from threats on their northern border. We need to make sure the security is done as Canadians, not to react to some idea that we own anything to the USA.

Frankly the northern border on the USA is more secure in everyway than their southern borders.

Either from Cuba or Mexico.

In fact the USA ports are like sieves, and they need to take care of their own problems while we work on ours. Securing a port or coast is not an easy matter. It is much like herding cats.

If anyone thinks the American ports are anymore secure than ours, they are talking to you with their heads in the sand. It is virtually impossible now to make shipping totally secure. With the advent of the large container ships, large oil tankers, and the problems around the Singapore shipping lanes, there is nothing we can do if someone wants to rain terror in one of ports.

It is virtually impossible to stop the ship at sea to board and inspect, and deal with what ever maybe on the ship.

As I asked one of the Alliance M.P.'s who was spewing idiocy during the time we had people being smuggled into a our ports aboard rust buckets, 'which Canadian or American naval commander is going to sink a boat at sea, under suspicion it has an illegal human cargo on it?'

That is what you must do if you want to stop a ship from entering a harbour, beaching itself on a coast, or continuing on. Our security should include a navy that is suited to coastal patrols, interdictions, search and rescue and keeping the world's shipping lanes open and safe. Everything else is secondary. This also means all three coasts, and the Saint Lawrence Seaway and Great Lakes.

Don't forget that Canada sees most of the world's trade pass by it or in its coastal waters. This enforcement and protection also includes enforcing environmental laws.

Our Air Force would have the same goal and purpose with an increased effectiveness in the north and on the coast. We need an army that can react in fast and effective ways to civic and civil needs in Canada. There needs to be an added purpose of helping around the world to bring peace, and establish true democracy with all that brings, in areas of the world that want their own kind of democracy and not a cookie cutter style that our friends to the south think about.

Considering my father and 1,000's of his buddies went to England at the beginning of the 2nd World War on a private ship, and returned after doing his duty, no worse for the wear, why do we think we need a armada of ships to fit all sorts of needs we do not know what they will be? Chartering ships or planes to get our people and equipment to where they need to be in a timely fashion is nothing new and should not be overlooked. Canadians should ask the Federal government to withdraw us from both the FTA and NAFTA.

We should then ask our government to negotiate a sector by sector trade agreement in keeping with GATT and WTO. We should build in to the agreements enforceable penalties that we will inflict and enforce.

Even if that means turning off the tap on the flow of natural gas and oil, or raw logs.