P.E.I. bill to reduce trade barriers passes 2nd reading despite opposition complaints

Kerry Campbell · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 22, 2025 6:17 PM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

A Prince Edward Island government measure meant to trim commercialized barriers and amended labour mobility successful the province passed 2nd speechmaking successful the legislature Tuesday.

The Interprovincial Trade and Mobility Act mirrors a akin instrumentality enacted successful Nova Scotia. Another mentation of the measure has been introduced successful the Ontario legislature.

The intent is to person assorted Canadian provinces enact reciprocal authorities to admit 1 another's commercialized regulations and nonrecreational designations.

But P.E.I.'s authorities got a unsmooth thrust from absorption parties Tuesday, based connected concerns raised during authorities consultations with nonrecreational associations, and adjacent betwixt authorities departments.

The caput of the province's Financial and Consumer Services part urged his colleagues to instrumentality their clip with the measure truthful that they could learn from feedback to authorities enactment guardant successful different provinces.

The P.E.I. Veterinary Medical Association raised concerns the authorities would permission the radical with nary quality to supply oversight oregon "impose restrictions oregon suspensions against veterinarians from reciprocating jurisdictions, nary substance however egregious the offence."

Premier Rob Lantz addressed those concerns during Question Period Tuesday.

"In Nova Scotia, erstwhile this akin authorities was tabled, veterinarians besides had concerns," helium told the house. That led to amendments to the Nova Scotia authorities which are besides reflected successful P.E.I.'s version, Lantz said.

As a result, helium said "veterinarians, similar anyone else, would beryllium required to registry with the governing assemblage successful Prince Edward Island. We've addressed the concerns. We admit the feedback."

Lantz besides tried to re-frame comments helium made past week regarding concerns that the caller commercialized measure could beryllium utilized arsenic mode to get astir P.E.I.'s limits connected non-resident onshore ownership nether the Lands Protection Act.

At the time, the premier said that if necessary, helium would invoke the Canadian constitution's notwithstanding clause to support those limits, which requires non-residents to question furniture support to bargain much than 5 acres of onshore successful the province.

"I was simply trying to authorities the information that this authorities is wholly committed to the extortion of the Lands Protection Act P.E.I., a unsocial portion of authorities to Prince Edward Island that we would support successful immoderate mode we perchance could, nether immoderate circumstances," Lantz said Tuesday.

'Inapplicable ineligible tool'

Green MLA Matt MacFarlane said the clause that allows provinces to bypass the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms wouldn't use to P.E.I.'s commercialized law.

"The lone crushed the premier is floating this inapplicable ineligible instrumentality is due to the fact that helium and his authorities are ramming done authorities that has simply not been good thought out," helium said.

While yet the authorities is expected to trim barriers to the travel of goods betwixt provinces, to commencement with, Lantz said, the absorption is connected improving labour mobility.

During consultations, nonrecreational associations representing psychologists, teachers, engineers, societal workers, chartered nonrecreational accountants and onshore surveyors each argued they should beryllium exempt from the caller law.

Health professions covered nether P.E.I.'s Registered Health Professions Act are exempt, arsenic are lawyers. Further exemptions tin beryllium introduced done regulations which person yet to beryllium developed.

The Liberals and Greens introduced a associated question to person the measure sent to committee for further review.

Lantz has said helium wants the instrumentality to beryllium successful spot by July 1, the date Prime Minister Mark Carney acceptable to person freer commercialized betwixt the provinces and territories aft helium met with archetypal ministers successful March.