Doug Ford has landed in Saskatoon hoping to accomplish the impossible.
Ontario’s premier wants to bring free, or freer trade to Canada.
While Canada has free trade deals with the United States, the European Union, much of the Pacific Rim and a host of other countries around the world, we still don’t have free trade in Canada.
That simple fact is costing our economy between $50 billion and $100 billion a year in lost economic opportunity.
It’s why the topic of internal trade within Canada is once again on the agenda at the annual gathering of premiers. Ford even addressed it in a recent op-ed he published in the National Post.
“The time has come for change. It’s time to focus on growing internal trade relationships and open up more business opportunities to rally the greatest economic boost our country has ever seen,” Ford wrote.
It would be nice if that were to happen but doing that would require getting premiers to give up on the kinds of protectionist measures that we would balk at if the Americans proposed them on us but allow within our own country.
Yet, there may be a mood for some change as Ford noted in a news conference in Calgary as he visited the Stampede.
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See Also:
(1) Internal trade wars depress our economy
(2) Premiers united against a pushy Trudeau
(3) Ontario’s Doug Ford sees golden age of provincial unity
(4) Top doctor sounds alarm on province’s loosened alcohol regulations
(5) National leadership, in cowboy hats
