The announcement late last week that Canada and the U.S. are working together to improve conditions at the border has critics crying foul.

During his trip to the White House on Friday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper joined U.S. President Barack Obama in declaring their two nations are in the process of considering a number of changes to the current border regulations.

"We've agreed to several important steps to increase trade," Obama told reporters at the end of the day's meetings.

But the failure to detail exactly what such changes might look like has raised critics' ire

In an interview on CTV's Question Period on Sunday, NDP Foreign Affairs critic Paul Dewar said he's worried about what issues are actually on the negotiating table.

"The last time we got involved in negotiations around border security with the Americans, we ended up with scanners in our airports and an airport tax," he said.

"I just don't trust this government to negotiate in our best interests," Dewar added, explaining he would like the entire process to be put to Parliamentarians.

"Let Canadians have input and Parliament have oversight."

From his perspective, Liberal Public Safety critic Mark Holland said he too is worried by the cloak of secrecy that seems to be covering details of the border talks.

"It's very concerning," he said, pointing to national sovereignty, sharing of information and immigration as issues Canadians should be made aware of, if they are in fact up for discussion.

"Now we're talking about, behind the scenes, potentially negotiating away our sovereignty when we have no controls."

But Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon said critics' claims of secrecy have left him amazed.

"Look, there's a declaration that was signed by the President of the United States and the Prime Minister of Canada. It's available where everybody who wants to see it, they can read it, they can find out what has been said and obviously there is no secret pact," Cannon said in an interview with Question Period host Craig Oliver.

"Once again, based on what I'm hearing from the opposition, it's the old fearmongering that's going out there."

Instead, Cannon says the deal is geared towards fostering economic growth, jobs and opportunities between the largest trading partners in the world.

"And at the same time, prevent early threats that are brought about between Canada and the United States from third parties," he added, insisting that any changes in discussion would not undermine either nation's sovereignty.