By Canadian Press

Trade barriers between provinces must be eliminated, Scheer says

Oct 15, 2019 | 10:13 AM

QUEBEC — Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer says he would have a meeting with premiers to push for an interprovincial free trade agreement within the first 100 days if he becomes prime minister.

Scheer is campaigning in Quebec today, a province where he hopes to make significant gains in this election.

He says if he wins the election next week he will host a meeting of premiers in Ottawa on Jan. 6 to discuss whether provincial laws and regulations that differ from each other are reasonable areas of provincial jurisdiction or are unnecessarily preventing trade.

Scheer says the International Monetary Fund estimates that interprovincial trade barriers cost Canada’s economy as much as $90 billion a year.

The former Conservative government started working with the provinces on the Canadian Free Trade Agreement in 2014, and the negotiations were completed and the agreement came into force under the Liberals in 2017.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Oct. 15, 2019.

The Canadian Press