P.E.I. government moving too fast on easing interprovincial trade restrictions, say opposition parties

Stephen Brun · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 15, 2025 7:55 PM EDT | Last Updated: 14 minutes ago

Opposition parties connected P.E.I. are urging caution erstwhile it comes to the Progressive Conservatives' projected measure to destruct commercialized barriers betwixt provinces. 

Debate began Tuesday successful the legislature connected the Interprovincial Trade and Mobility Act, introduced past Friday by Premier Rob Lantz. 

The measure would easiness the travel of goods to and from different provinces with akin legislation, and marque it easier for workers successful immoderate regulated professions to find employment connected the Island. 

Lantz has said helium wants to get the enactment done the legislature arsenic accelerated arsenic possible, but the Liberals and Greens argued that the authorities is moving excessively rapidly to beryllium capable to fig retired which commercialized barriers it should keep.

WATCH | Bees, oysters and workplace machinery raised arsenic P.E.I. politicians statement caller measure connected commercialized barriers:

"If we were the past [province] to travel forward, they'd beryllium criticizing america … but we're showing enactment by coming forward," Lantz said during question period. 

"It's a precedence successful this country. Canadians privation to spot america dropping interprovincial commercialized barriers." 

Nova Scotia became the archetypal state to enact this benignant of authorities backmost successful February successful an effort to boost the system aft U.S. President Donald Trump signalled helium wanted to motorboat a commercialized warfare with galore countries, including Canada.

Prince Edward Island is presently the lone different state to suggest a reciprocal bill. The thought is that each state that passes akin laws would admit the others' standards, regulations and accreditations. 

There are immoderate important exceptions successful the P.E.I. measure — regulated wellness professions and lawyers would not autumn nether the act.

The absorption parties pointed retired Tuesday that Nova Scotia's authorities had to beryllium importantly amended aft groups representing veterinarians and different nonrecreational associations said they would suffer immoderate quality to modulate oregon adjacent way who was practising successful that province.

There tin beryllium much carve-outs for different professions successful P.E.I.'s bill, but it's not yet wide what those would be.

'Runs a risk'

There was besides interest Tuesday that the authorities would supersede each different laws, including P.E.I.'s Lands Protection Act, which limits non-residential onshore ownership successful the province. 

Green Party MLA Matt MacFarlane took contented with the archetypal enactment of the act, which reads that its intent is to "remove barriers to commercialized successful goods, services and concern betwixt the state and different jurisdictions wrong Canada." 

The Greens tried to get the connection "investment" removed from the bill. 

"Copying from Nova Scotia's authorities and bringing it successful present without looking astatine our unsocial … laws successful this province, I deliberation that runs a risk, and I deliberation the hazard is if we determination excessively rapidly done this review," MacFarlane said. 

WATCH | What are interprovincial commercialized barriers, and are they each bad? CBC explains:

The premier really agreed with the Greens' motion, saying helium didn't judge removing the word would change the bill's purpose. 

"We don't consciousness similar the inclusion of that connection provides … immoderate undue risk," Lantz said. "We had nary objection to deleting it due to the fact that it doesn't substantially alteration the intent of the bill." 

The amendment seemed to drawback the PCs disconnected defender — the premier and Finance Minister Jill Burridge voted with the opposition, but the remainder of the PCs defeated it, truthful "investment" remains successful the bill. 

Lantz hopes the enactment volition beryllium acceptable for July 1 to align with Prime Minister Mark Carney's pledge to person "free commercialized by Canada Day."