12 Steps (and more) to Free Trade among Canadians
Don't hold your breath, though
Free trade between provinces is in the constitution.
Section 121.
“All Articles of the Growth, Produce, or Manufacture of any one of the Provinces shall, from and after the Union, be admitted free into each of the other Provinces.”
Since 1867 every single province has violated that part of the constitution.
In 2018, the Supreme Court of Canada said unanimously that trade barriers between provinces are okay as long as they aren’t called trade barriers or tariffs. Provincial governments can restrict trade to their hearts’ content, according to the learned justices in h’Ottawa. Just don’t say that’s what you are doing.
There are trade barriers between provinces because the federal government, provincial governments, businesses, unions, and others simply don’t want free trade between provinces. They like controlling their petty fiefdoms and protecting their tiny patches even though their unconstitutional restrictions cost ordinary people billions annually in unnecessary costs. Just look at the latest news from Ottawa, via the Toronto Star: the federal government has already decided that the hugely expensive (to consumers) dairy supply management system will not disappear. So much for claims today from the federal government there’ll be interprovincial free trade within a couple of weeks.
There was a free trade movement 25 years ago that involved all the provinces and the federal government. Negotiations went on forever. There was some progress. But groups like the medical regulators actually put up *more* barriers to free movement of medical doctors from province to province and got away with it.
Here are more than 10 things that would free up the sluggish movement of goods and services between provinces. Don’t hold your breath expecting them to happen quickly. There are lots of powerful interests including unions, bureaucracies, and people in some industries - they are all on the Teams This or That across the country - who will fight ruthlessly to avoid making these changes.
Some of them could be done right now - today - by any one provincial government alone. Some of them are unique to Newfoundland and Labrador.
Recognize the medical licence of any doctor with a full licence for unrestricted practice already issued by any provincial or territorial regulator in Canada. Right now, all the organizations that issue licences to medical doctors in Canada do not recognise licences issued in other provinces even though for a so-called full licence there is a single common standard they all apply. It’s dumb. Change it.
Make sure the same thing is happening in all professions and skilled trades to maximize the free flow of labour.
If it’s for sale legally in Canada, then it should be available in any province. That goes for prescription drugs or alcohol, especially. Provinces love to shag around with access to drugs for no good reason.
Sell off the provincial liquor corporation distribution, wholesaling, and manufacturing (and cannabis) operations to the private sector and get rid of the laws that force any company to import liquor, wine, or beer to a province only through a provincially-owned liquor corporation or regulator.
Regulate liquor retailing and wholesaling like any other business.
Free enterprise in the fishery. Take an axe to the provincial fisheries department and all the restrictions on fish processing and fish sales by the provincial government other than those that apply generally to businesses of all kinds for health and safety, etc. That’s what harvesters wanted. Give it to them.
Modernize the land tenure system in Newfoundland and Labrador to make land sales simple and easy. (They aren’t right now)
Put the provincial registries related to land and property online to make selling and buying land simple and easy. That includes land for commercial purposes.
End NALCOR’s monopoly on electricity.
Create a new interprovincial energy regulator or network of regulators to ensure the market for energy in Newfoundland and Labrador and across Canada is free and fair. NL will need a new one to replace the Public Utilities Board.
Remove local preference laws, restrictions, or conditions on hiring or tendering for provincial government work.
Tear up the Furey deal with Francois Legault. The deal makes it impossible for Newfoundland and Labrador to take advantage of interprovincial and international free trade in energy.
Change the constitution, but *only* if necessary.
Use the Nova Scotia example to move Newfoundland and Labrador from last place to first place in any comparison of government red tape.
Energize adult basic education. Again.
Remake the provincial university to support innovation.
Challenge and Change. We’re up for it.