Manitoba bill encourages trade with other provinces
Bill 47 establishes 'mutual recognition rules' to facilitate more inter-regional trade and rebrands June 1 as 'Buy Manitoba, Buy Canadian Day.'
'A competitive and open economy within Canada, that is open to trade and encourages domestic buy-in will make sure that we remain the 'True North, Strong and Free,'' Trade Minister Jamie Moses told the legislative assembly as he read aloud the proposed legislation for the first time Thursday.
Moses said the bill aims to increase the flow of goods, services and investments between Manitoba and the rest of the country.
It gives Manitoba the power to designate another province or territory that takes similar steps to remove barriers to trade as a 'reciprocating jurisdiction.'
That means another region's products will be treated as if they have met local certification, testing and quality standards and will not be subject to additional approval requirements and related fees.
Out-of-province services will also be exempt from related red tape.
These changes fulfil the province's 'commitment to continue to grow our province's economic resilience and prosperity,' said Moses, whose extensive portfolio includes business, mining, trade and job creation.
At the same time, the minister said he wants to start recognizing June 1 as a special day to celebrate local businesses.
Premier Wab Kinew met with Ontario Premier Doug Ford last week to sign a bilateral deal to increase the movement of goods and labour.
Ford's government recently tabled legislation to loosen protections on certain goods and services that Ontario gets from elsewhere in Canada.
maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca
Maggie MacintoshEducation reporter
Maggie Macintosh reports on education for the Free Press. Originally from Hamilton, Ont., she first reported for the Free Press in 2017. Read more about Maggie.
Funding for the Free Press education reporter comes from the Government of Canada through the Local Journalism Initiative.
Every piece of reporting Maggie produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
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