The federal government proposed today that the Agreement on Internal Trade be strengthened to ensure that Canadians enjoy the benefits of full labour mobility by April 1, 2009.

Maxime Bernier, Minister of Industry, made this proposal to his provincial and territorial counterparts at today’s meeting of the Committee on Internal Trade held in St. John’s. “Canadians should be free to work and to have their occupational qualifications recognized across the country,” said Bernier. “This should be a right of citizenship.”

Bernier proposed that the AIT be amended to include mutual recognition of occupational qualifications by default and that a more effective dispute resolution mechanism be incorporated into the AIT. These provisions would be similar to those in the Trade Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement signed by British Columbia and Alberta in April 2006. The TILMA provides for mutual recognition by default if parties cannot reconcile measures. It also has a strong dispute resolution process, with monetary penalties for non-compliance.

“Under TILMA, B.C. and Alberta have recognized that full labour mobility means workers enjoy the recognition of their credentials across provincial and territorial borders,” said Colin Hansen, B.C.’s Minister of Economic Development. “It is encouraging to see the Government of Canada commit to full cooperation in order to make this vision a reality for all workers.”

“Alberta and B.C. both believe that full labour mobility would benefit all provinces in Canada,” said Guy Boutilier, Alberta’s Minister of International, Intergovernmental and Aboriginal Relations. “In our joint cabinet meetings, Premiers Stelmach and Campbell worked to remove barriers to labour mobility, and the TILMA is a model for Canada. The Atlantic Premiers’ recent visit to Alberta shows how important interprovincial trade and labour mobility are. Addressing these issues nationally will improve our economic efficiency and make our country even more competitive.”

Provinces and territories agreed to look at the Minister of Industry’s proposal and recommend that the Chair of the Committee on Internal Trade consult with the Forum of Labour Market Ministers on the matter.

“We want to take action to foster a stronger economic union by working with provinces and territories to eliminate barriers to labour mobility within Canada,” said Bernier. “With leadership, political will and flexibility, we can eliminate barriers to the movement of persons, goods, services and investments within Canada.”