National Unity Starts with One Market

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce issued the following statement ahead the December 2nd meeting of the Council of the Federation in Toronto.

“As Canada’s provincial and territorial leaders come together for Monday’s Council of the Federation, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce hopes to see tangible evidence of what many Premiers have said publicly: we must all work together to promote national unity.

The Premiers have the individual and collective power to create one of the greatest symbols of Canadian unity, a single economic market within Canada.

For the 200,000 businesses that the Canadian Chamber represents throughout its network, the most direct way to strengthen our federation is to eliminate our internal barriers to trade and mobility so Canadians may work and do business as one country.

Canada’s divisive barriers to internal trade remain one of Canada’s most significant economic challenges. Addressing this issue can only, and will only, be solved by political commitment from the Premiers. Recently, the Premiers of Alberta and Manitoba demonstrated true leadership by removing almost all of their exceptions under the Canada Free Trade Agreement (CFTA).

Premiers Kenney and Pallister have proven it can be done. We urge the remaining premiers to show the same bold, visionary leadership. The recent Internal Trade Provincial Leadership Index report from the Montreal Economic Institute and the Canadian Constitution Foundation leaves no question that some provinces and territories are not pulling their weight in confederation and impairing the collective economic interests of Canadians.

The most direct route to national unity is by stimulating economic investment and growth in the private sector, which will strengthen provincial and territorial finances and make all Canadians see and feel the benefit of a unified country and a single market.”