CORNWALL -- Liberal candidate Bernadette Clement said there's been a "complete lack of political leadership" from the federal government on the local border dispute, and it's only adding to the problem.
Clement said elected officials from Akwesasne and Cornwall have requested meetings with government officials, but the requests have been turned down.
"If you're not talking, then you're part of the problem," said Clement, who also serves as a Cornwall city councillor.
The local candidate said she's discussed the border issue with Michael Ignatieff a number of times, and she's hoping the Liberal leader will help to bring some attention to the issue.
Clement pointed out that the dispute over the arming of border guards on Cornwall Island is nearing its first anniversary, and the makeshift customs station on Brookdale Avenue was supposed to be a temporary measure.
"We need this thing to move," she said of the dispute.
As for local MP Guy Lauzon's involvement in the matter, Clement expressed disappointment that he couldn't help to secure a meeting between local officials and the public safety minister. The role of an MP is to be the riding's voice in Ottawa, she added.
"It feels like we don't have a voice in Ottawa," she said.
For his part, Lauzon said he didn't want to get into a "war of words" in the media, however he insisted the government is working "very intensely" on the issue.
"It's an ongoing thing. We're making progress," Lauzon said, adding the problems at the heart of the dispute have lingered for many years.
"You don't solve a complicated problem like this in a short period of time."
Though he wouldn't divulge any specifics, Lauzon said that progress is being made behind the scenes, however he hesitated to put a timeline on when the matter could be resolved. The ultimate goal is to come up with a "permanent fix," he said.
"You can't resolve these problems in the media," Lauzon added.
At the outset of the dispute, the government said that "all options are on the table," and Lauzon said that is still the case.
Those options would presumably include moving the customs station back to Cornwall Island, permanently relocating it to Cornwall or the U.S. side of the river, or closing it altogether.
As of Thursday, CAO Paul Fitzpatrick said the city hasn't received any formal correspondence from the federal government regarding the possibility of having a permanent customs station in Cornwall.