Friends, through thick borders and thin trade

NEW ORLEANS — The tres hombres — George Bush, Stephen Harper and Mexican President Felipe Calderone — have come out swinging in firm opposition to any tinkering with NAFTA but in full support of more efficient border crossings.

The three leaders have just finished with a tripartite summit in New Orleans and made the statements in a joint press conference, according to the Windsor Star.

The NAFTA statements came in response to the American Democratic presidential candidates — especially Barack Obama — toying with the thought of re-opening the agreement.

Not only would re-opening NAFTA “cost jobs and investment in all three countries,” says Calderone, it would “condemn the region to complete backwardness” in light of the thundering economies of China and India.

However, Harper said that even though he’s against NAFTA being reopened, Canada’s in good shape no matter what.

“We’ll be prepared for any eventuality,” Harper said. “Canada is the United States’ No. 1 supplier of energy.”

Harper added that he and Bush are putting “special emphasis” on the Detroit-Windsor border crossing in an effort to boost trade.

“We agreed that continuing to improve and expand trade is the key to greater? prosperity for our peoples, and we are putting special emphasis on the? Detroit-Windsor crossing,” he said.

Canada and the U.S. are working on a project that would build a new bridge in the region.

Harper also pointed to the impact of increased security measures on cross-border traffic. “To that end, I specifically raised concerns about the so-called thickening of the Canada-U.S. border.”