Windsor West MP Brian Masse says he got an angry response from Conservatives during Wednesday's question period after asking why Canada is paying for the U.S. customs plaza.
Masse says the Conservative government negotiated a bad deal with the U.S. for building the new $1-billion bridge. "They (the U.S.) are basically getting away scot-free. The reality is we are stuck with the bill at the end of the day," says Masse. "There was an attempt by Gary Peters, a Democrat on the U.S. side, to try and get some support for the project, but wasn't successful. It really shows you how weak we are in Washington right now."
Masse says there isn't really anything that can be changed since Canada made the agreement. "We basically played poker with our cards facing the other way," says Masse. "I mean it's ridiculous to think that the U.S., during an election year, is actually going to spend money where they could actually get Canada to pay for it, then sink that money into some type of jurisdiction to try to get political benefit."
Initially, Masse says the U.S. was supposed to pay for its own customs plaza, but the Canadian government agreed to pay if they didn't. Masse says money collected through tolls will help offset the costs of the new border crossing. The federal government has said the new bridge will be open by 2020.