Saskatchewan and Ontario are open for business and both Premiers want to work on breaking down the inter-provincial trade barriers.
That was part of the message from a news conference in Ontario this morning (Mon) that also covered the disagreement with the federal government that is imposing a carbon tax on the two provinces.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford says the Trudeau government is trying to buy Canadians by taxing them and promising to give most of it back.
Premier Scott Moe says there was a bit of good news in the federal government’s announcement of the tax, and that was that the Prairie Resilience plan was accepted.
However, the federal government didn’t believe it went far enough, so there will still be a penalty for not signing on to the plan.
Moe believes the tax is bad environmental policy and also a bad economic policy, and that’s why they are taking it to court.
That’s where the talk of opening up the trade barriers between the provinces and territories began.
Moe says Saskatchewan exports more than $5-billion to Ontario and more than $6-billion worth of goods and services come to this province from Ontario every year.
Both Premiers would like to see less regulatory barriers between the provinces.
When the floor was opened to questions at the news conference that was broadcast live on Facebook, the feed was shut off so there was no chance to hear reporters’ questions or the answers that followed.
Premier Moe is in Toronto for meeting with the Canada-India Business Council ahead of his mission to Indian late next Month and to talk more about inter-provincial trade with Premier Ford.
Last year, Saskatchewan was Canada’s top exporter to India and the province’s third largest export market.