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Thursday February 6, 2025

February 6, 2025 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday February 6, 2025 (Also, The Toronto Star)

Breaking Down Barriers: A Call to Action for Canada’s Internal Trade

December 18, 2024

With U.S. tariffs looming large on the horizon, Canada stands at a critical juncture. The temporary reprieve from these trade threats offers a golden opportunity to strengthen our domestic economy by dismantling the interprovincial trade barriers that have long hindered our growth. Now, more than ever, all levels of Canadian government must turn political rhetoric into tangible action.

Transport and Internal Trade Minister Anita Anand and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre both recognize the crucial need to boost internal trade. Anand is making strides by promoting mutual recognition of regulations and enhancing labor mobility across provinces. Meanwhile, Poilievre has proposed a “free trade bonus” to incentivize provinces to eliminate trade barriers, promising financial rewards based on the economic benefits of deregulation.
The potential rewards are significant. Studies suggest that removing these barriers could add up to $200 billion annually to Canada’s GDP, translating into substantial savings for Canadian families and a stronger, more resilient economy. Deloitte’s report even estimates that families could save over $6,000 each year by reducing these barriers.

News: Interprovincial trade barriers: what they are, why they exist and how to cut them

January 17, 2025

However, the path forward is fraught with challenges. The Canadian Free Trade Agreement remains bogged down with exceptions that prevent the free flow of goods like alcohol and cannabis. Furthermore, some provinces and industries benefit from these barriers and may resist change. Public comments often highlight skepticism about provinces like Quebec and Ontario, which have been slow to embrace free trade ideals.

To overcome these obstacles, a unified, bipartisan effort is essential. Provinces must put aside regional protectionism and collaborate with the federal government to standardize regulations and enhance labor mobility. This includes addressing professional licensing standards, as suggested by Poilievre’s proposed “Blue Seal” certification, and ensuring that procurement and transportation rules are consistent across the country.

Beyond economic benefits, breaking down these barriers will make Canada more resilient against global market changes and reduce costs for consumers. By fostering a more integrated national market, we can enhance our competitiveness and create a more dynamic business environment.

News: Canada can do ‘substantial’ work fast on internal trade, minister says

January 24, 2025

As we approach provincial elections, it’s crucial for candidates to prioritize these issues. For too long, interprovincial trade barriers have been a topic of discussion without meaningful action. Voters should demand more than just promises; they should insist on concrete plans and timelines for change. Provincial leaders need to commit to working collaboratively with the federal government to streamline regulations and improve trade and labor mobility across the country.

Voters must hold candidates accountable, challenging them to pledge specific measures and deadlines for reducing these barriers. By prioritizing action over rhetoric, we can transform longstanding challenges into opportunities for economic growth and stability.

Comment: We’ll believe Ontario is ‘Team Canada’ on interprovincial trade when we see it

Now is the time for decisive action. The passion and urgency generated by external threats should fuel our commitment to dismantle internal barriers. By doing so, we can turn a moment of uncertainty into an opportunity for lasting growth and stability. Canada must seize this chance to fortify its economy from within, ensuring that we not only weather global market shifts but thrive in their wake. It’s time for provinces to step up and deliver real progress, ensuring that Canada is not only prepared for global market shifts but also thriving from within.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the talk of removing interprovincial trade barriers may seem dull, but it’s crucial for the provinces to work on this for the benefit of consumers and the strength of our country. For too long, provincial premiers have maintained bureaucratic and protectionist barriers that offer no benefit to consumers, making it easier for Canadian businesses to trade with foreign countries than within their own nation. It’s absurd, and it demands hard work, time, negotiation, and a commitment to cutting through the red tape. In Ontario, there’s even a minister of red tape reduction, and this issue should be at the top of their agenda. With the current economic tensions, including a 30 day “ceasefire,” mere tears, booing national anthems and other theatrics simply won’t suffice. We need real action, and especially in the midst of a provincial elections, politicians should focus on eliminating these barriers when they aren’t kissing babies. All provincial leaders must prioritize this issue—it’s the one thing they can truly address. It may not be a sexy issue, and it won’t grab headlines when a small business gains more economic freedom, but dismantling interprovincial trade barriers is essential. It requires hard work, and this is precisely what we expect from our politicians, especially in times of crisis. Voters need to demand this every day of the election campaign, and it must become a pledged commitment by all leaders. Let’s push for meaningful change where it counts!

Please check out my making-of animated editorial cartoon for February 6, 2025, below! If you haven’t yet, please subscribe to my Substack newsletter, where I release my post every Saturday morning summarizing the week through my editorial cartoons. What you’re reading here is a “note,” designed to help craft my weekly posts and display the animated versions of my daily cartoons. Enjoy!

– The Graeme Gallery

Read on Substack

Tuesday July 17, 2018

July 23, 2018 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday July 17, 2018

Premiers’ much-hyped internal trade deal hasn’t amounted to much

June 28, 2018

On the day they released the Canadian Free Trade Agreement in 2017, all the provincial and territorial trade ministers were given a symbolic pair of golden scissors to remind them to start cutting interprovincial trade barriers.

The trouble is, they aren’t using them.

The scissors were gifts from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, a relentless advocacy group for whom harmonizing — and ideally, cutting — government regulations is a mantra.

Its president and CEO, Dan Kelly, said he’s seen his snippy trophies proudly displayed in ministers’ offices across Canada. But one year after the trade deal took effect on Canada’s 150th birthday, July 1, 2017, has any tangible progress been made?

Well …

August 5, 2010

“It’s slow-going,” he said. The process lacks concrete timelines. He’s still waiting for the interprovincial trade committee to set priorities, let alone roll back barriers.

“I don’t think there’s anything that has changed, other than a commitment to start some work,” he said, laughing a bit when asked to identify which specific irritants have been settled between provinces in the deal’s first year of operations.

It’s easier to point to reasons things stalled.

There’s the pipeline debate in British Columbia and Alberta’s threat to retaliate, for starters, which risks “undermining the whole spirit of this agreement,” Kelly said. (Saskatchewan, another energy exporter, jumped into this fight too.)

It’s also hard to maintain momentum across 13 governments. During its time as chair of Canada’s internal trade committee, Ontario’s Liberal government (and specifically minister Brad Duguid) was a driving force in finalizing CFTA, which was announced at the premiers conference in Yukon in 2016 but not actually unveiled until the following spring in Toronto.

The chair has changed hands twice since then. First it swung to New Brunswick — home of the much-discussed Comeau case, in which that province’s right to stop its citizens from stocking their personal beer fridges across a provincial boundary was upheld by the Supreme Court. Now it’s Quebec’s turn.

Ontario’s recent change of government also delayed the distribution of a working group report on alcoholic beverages that was due by July 1 (more on that later). (Continued: CBC)

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