Why can’t Canada learn to get along?

Sons of Liberty

Walks on Water
Aug 24, 2010
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Evil Empire
How provincial trade barriers remain a national conundrum

OTTAWA — Blame the Fathers of Confederation, if you like, for being overly optimistic.
When the union of British North America was forged in 1867 — then a much smaller and eastern-dominated dominion — it was envisioned as a place where “all articles of the growth, produce, or manufacture of any one of the provinces shall, from and after the union, be admitted free into each of the other provinces.”

Enshrined in the Constitution Act, but not really taken to heart. Instead, political leaders of the day unwittingly put the country on a collision course as the federation and, with it, provincial commerce grew. They could not have foreseen a Canada — just four provinces then — stretching from sea to sea to sea, nor a country now littered with trade barriers and other obstacles between its members, most recently highlighted by this week’s friction between the West and Ontario and Quebec, as the two provinces’ premiers presented new demands before they would even consider allowing a West-East energy pipeline project to traverse their territories. Canada is arguably less open for business between provincial borders than it is to trading partners outside the country. It remains a Canadian conundrum. One that federal Industry Minister James Moore, like many of his predecessors, has been cajoling provincial and territorial leaders to solve amongst themselves, able only to offer any help they might need.

“Truth is, the Constitution is pretty clear about provincial jurisdictions and constitutional authority,” Mr. Moore said in an interview.
“So, this has to be done in cooperation, and it doesn’t happen very quickly, which is frustrating, but that’s the nature of Confederation.”

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Why can’t Canada learn to get along? How provincial trade barriers remain a national conundrum | Financial Post