Should the Canadian border be closed?

[ALICIA]

I should point out, that since we no longer have any BSE, the US ban on our beef is illegal under NAFTA and WTO.

[ALICIA]

When I read what you have just said. I believe that you right, and I think know that back in May if our goverment really would of closed our boarder also, and called it for safty reasons, Then when every thing was cleared up, both boarders would of opened at the same time.
But hine sient is 20-20 and its to late again for this action is it not. Plus unfortionatly every thing is a learning experence and everyone did want they thought was right at the time.
Would it not of made us look even worse if we would of do that? By not closing the boarder I think it makes us look pretty sure that it was just the one case, and we didn't have a bigger problem.

[rusty1]

I once heard the numbers - maybe someone out there knows. If we didn't import any foreign beef. I think I heard that we would use close to if not more than 60% of our own beef. Add some foreign trade and the number gets better. Keep some of our wasted "Equalization Paments" and we could all enjoy our own crops at home.
P.S. 2 of my family members work at MacDonalds and they shipped their frozen US beef back from at least 1 store.

[rusty1]

Interesting Alicia what you have said. I see it a bit differently, although you raise a valid point, which could have also been done. Even so, I think a termporary border closure to imported beef would send a very clear message, that our own beef is perfectly safe. Since it is healthy beef, we cannot simply destroy it uselessly - what rational person would expect that? We need to sell it.


Apparently, Canada has a ban on Japanese beef already, I recently heard. Because of their BSE a few years ago. But anyone know how many cases they actually had then, and what procedures they now use to protect against it?

[Muttley]

Japan is causing us as much problem as anyone.

Maybe we should stop buying anything that says made in Japan, and see how long it takes them to shutup and eat are beef(like the politicians over there aren't allready doing it).

[rusty1]

I found the best claification on this who BSE issue - it's a must read. Finally something that makes sence @ http://www.leiss.ca/chronicles/125
William Leiss is a prof at the U of Calgary.

[ALICIA]

OKA I'll read it Rusty