Why Quebec won't make a bilateral trade deal with Ontario

Calgary Herald

5 days ago

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An official in Ford's office, speaking on a not-for-attribution basis to discuss internal matters more freely, said they respect Quebec's wish to go solely the legislative route.
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'Certainly, we respect that process, and our door continues to remain open,' they said.
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The official added each MOU does not need dedicated legislation to enact the terms set out between Ontario and each province or territory, but specific agreements could help with the free flow of direct alcohol sales to consumers, for instance.
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Legault has a majority government in Quebec, which means that Bill 112 will almost certainly pass in the fall. But the bulk of the work on determining which goods should be excluded by regulation from internal trade will commence right after, said Skeete.
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'The clock starts when we pass the bill,' he said, adding that different departments inside the Quebec government will have about 12 months to get back to the government and give them a list of goods that they want to opt out of or want to exclude from internal trade.
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'In other words, if there's something that's being sold outside of Quebec that you absolutely want to have a different norm, you're going to have to tell us, and then we will publish that on our (ministry of the) Economy website for transparency.'
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Many requirements that are considered not essential would be dropped once Bill 112 is in place. For instance, Transport Quebec currently has requirements that scooters should have reflectors be a specific colour, and be located both on the wheels and in the back.
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'That kind of thing creates a barrier. So, we can agree that the scooter needs to have certain safety measures … but certainly, the colour and the location of the reflectors is really not the dealbreaker. So, that's the kind of thing that would disappear,' said Skeete.
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Some things, however, will not change under Bill 112. A senior government official in Quebec said French language laws will continue to apply for goods, and that professional orders in Quebec could require the mastery of French to practice in the province.
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Quebec also has more stringent consumer protection laws, which means that goods coming into the province are still subject to certain guarantees, warranties and other norms bound by Quebec's Office de la protection du consommateur, noted Skeete.
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The example of the scooter made in another province would not be exempt from warranty obligations unique to Quebec nor would it be exempt from having instructions in French for how to handle the scooter if it were to be sold in the province, he said.
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'The way to do business in Quebec doesn't change just because you're importing things from other provinces now.'
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