Minister LeBlanc reaffirms commitment to enhancing internal trade in Canada
MONCTON, NB, Dec. 13, 2021 /CNW/ - Today, the Government of Canada reaffirmed its commitment to enhancing internal trade during the Committee on Internal Trade meeting. Representatives from all provinces and territories were present.
During the meeting, the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities, reiterated the federal government's commitment to accelerating efforts to reduce barriers to internal trade in support of Canada's economic recovery and to strengthen its growth and competitiveness.
Minister LeBlanc joined the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, in support of her dialogue on labour mobility. Together, they underscored the critical importance of facilitating and prioritizing collective efforts for labour mobility and credential recognition, especially for Canada's healthcare sector.
Minister LeBlanc also welcomed the participation of his colleague the Honourable Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry François-Philippe Champagne and they called on their ministerial counterparts to be ambitious in their future efforts towards tackling remaining barriers to trade, investment and labour mobility within Canada.
For its part, the Government most recently announced the removal and narrowing of several federal exceptions from the Canadian Free Trade Agreement, and committed to investing $21 million through Budget 2021 to reduce barriers to trade in Canada and help build a more prosperous economy. This includes the commitment to open and accessible pan-Canadian internal trade data.
In 2019, the Government acted decisively when it removed the only remaining federal barrier to the interprovincial movement of alcoholic beverages. Minister LeBlanc welcomed the leadership of Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston and applauded the efforts of provinces and territories that have taken steps toward direct-to-consumer sales, and has called on remaining counterparts to take similar steps towards addressing long-standing trade barriers in this sector. He commended Quebec Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon's announcement (link in French only) today of Quebec's intent to eliminate the quantitative limits on alcoholic beverages that a person can bring into the province.
He then restated the Government of Canada's commitment to working collaboratively with provinces and territories to accelerate action on the interprovincial movement of alcoholic beverages.
Minister LeBlanc also signalled the importance of continuing to engage with industry and stakeholders to identify and tackle trade and regulatory barriers and strengthen the domestic economy.
Minister LeBlanc re-enforced his commitment to continued collaboration with provinces and territories to remove barriers to trade.
Quotes
"Across the country, entrepreneurs are eager to get their products in the hands of more Canadian consumers, but internal trade barriers still represent a significant obstacle for them. Our Government has shown leadership by removing federal barriers and exceptions and investing $21 million through Budget 2021 to support the creation of open and accessible pan-Canadian internal trade data to identify barriers. We will continue to encourage our provincial and territorial partners to take bold steps in their areas of jurisdiction to allow domestic trade and commerce to be freer across the country. We must demonstrate to Canadians that we are all leveraging our capacity to accelerate our efforts to foster a strong economic recovery."
- The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities
"Labour mobility is more critical than ever to support Canadians in a changing economy. Through collaboration with the provinces and territories, the Government is committed to improving labour mobility and expediting the process to move skilled workers to the areas where they are needed most."
? The Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion
"As we recover from this pandemic, we must continue to work together to strengthen our internal market and align our regulatory approaches for the movement of goods, services and investments within Canada. I look forward to collaborating with our provincial and territorial colleagues to transform our biggest challenges into economic opportunities that will benefit all Canadians."
? The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
Quick Facts
- According to the International Monetary Fund, removing barriers to internal trade within Canada could increase Canada's gross domestic product by almost 4%.
- The federal government released four Regulatory Roadmaps in June 2019, setting out a plan for reducing regulatory barriers and bottlenecks in targeted high-growth sectors.
- Through the Regulatory Reconciliation and Cooperation Table, federal, provincial and territorial governments have also agreed on a renewed work plan for reconciling and co-operating on regulations in the coming years.
Associated Links
- Canada delivering modern regulations, boosting internal trade
- Regulatory Roadmaps ? the path to a better regulatory system for businesses and all Canadians
- Minister Morneau statement following meeting of Committee on Internal Trade ministers
- Canada acts to eliminate barriers to interprovincial trade in alcohol
- First Ministers meet to discuss economic growth and jobs for Canadians
- Federal action to enhance economic competitiveness and improve trade between provinces and territories
- Canadian Free Trade Agreement website
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/MinIntergovCA
SOURCE Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs
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