Ontario Liberals bring in bill retaliating against Buy American provisions
TORONTO — With roughly three months before a spring election, Ontario’s governing Liberals are using the last legislative session to push back against any state that adopts Buy American provisions, saying the move is necessary to protect the province’s workers and businesses.
The Liberals kicked off the session Tuesday by introducing a bill that would reduce procurement opportunities for states that adopt such provisions, by allowing provincial officials to write regulations targeting individual states.
Premier Kathleen Wynne had earlier this month declared her intentions to counter protectionist measures put in place by some U.S. states, a decision she said was inspired by a recent infrastructure bill from the state of New York.
If passed, the legislation would apply to organizations within the Ontario government and the broader public sector, though some could obtain exemptions, the province said Tuesday.