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Q: What do you see as the ideal future relationship between Canada and Turks and Caicos? An economic union? Territorial status? Full-fledged provincial status?

A: I would look at giving it full provincial status because of the potential for the region because they would then be representing Canada’s interests for the entire area. We have precedent; PEI has a relatively modest population. While the Turks population is between 25,000 and 35,000 people, with development and commercialization of the islands, very quickly I could see a population of 100,000 people.

Q: Plans to annex the islands have fallen through at least three time; in the 1910s, the 1970s and the 1980s. What’s different now?

A: The messaging then was for the Turks and Caicos to join Canada, but I think the plan may have [fallen apart] when Parliament considered space and time and distance. But in today’s world, the Turks and Caicos are actually closer to Ottawa, in kilometers, than my riding in Edmonton. With air travel and electronic communication it’s a whole new world.

Q: It’s certainly a nice vacation spot, but what else would Canada do with a Caribbean province?

A: They say that South Caicos Island is on a deepwater channel that could be developed into a deepwater trading port for transshipment from Canada’s Maritimes. Cuba, of course, has great infrastructure needs. As they are probably soon going to be entering a post-Castro era, looking forward I think it would bode well to have Canadian interests based from the Turks. From a Canadian unity point of view [and Canadian unity is why I got into politics], Canadians holiday north and south, they don’t holiday east and west. So we don’t get a chance to meet and greet each other on a regular basis. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a common destination in the south? The Turks would love all the extra business they could get in tourism.