As Ottawa’s morning light filtered through the windows of New Brunswick’s provincial legislature last Tuesday, Premier Blaine Higgs took what many are calling the boldest step yet toward dismantling Canada’s internal trade walls. The province has introduced legislation aimed at recognizing occupational certifications from other provinces and territories automatically – effectively ending decades of bureaucratic hurdles for thousands of skilled workers.
“We can’t afford to be an island unto ourselves anymore,” Premier Higgs told me during a phone interview following the announcement. “When a qualified electrician from Alberta can’t wire a house in Moncton without months of paperwork, nobody wins.”
The Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement Implementation Act would recognize most professional and trade credentials from other provinces immediately upon a worker’s arrival in New Brunswick. This represents the first comprehensive provincial attempt to address what the Canadian Chamber of Commerce has identified as a $130 billion annual drag on our economy from interprovincial trade barriers.
Walking through Fredericton’s downtown core after the announcement, the implications were already rippling through local business circles. At Java Moose café, construction contractor Paul Leblanc nursed an afternoon coffee while scrolling through news of the legislation on his phone.
“I’ve lost three good workers in the past year because they couldn’t get certified here fast enough,” Leblanc said, the frustration evident in his voice. “Meanwhile, I’ve got contracts I can’t fulfill. This could change everything.”
The legislation takes aim at what economists have long described as Canada’s self-imposed economic handicap. Despite the promise of free trade within our borders under Section 121 of the Constitution, the reality has been a patchwork of regulations that vary dramatically across provincial lines.
Labour mobility restrictions have been particularly problematic. According to the C.D. Howe Institute’s latest analysis, nearly 20% of Canada’s workforce requires some form of occupational licensing, with requirements that rarely transfer smoothly across provincial boundaries.
New Brunswick’s economic development minister Arlene Dunn framed the issue in stark terms during the bill’s first reading: “We’re a province of 775,000 people losing population while sitting next to a market of 330 million. We need to be the easiest place in Canada to move to, work in, and invest in.”
The legislation builds on the groundwork laid by the Canadian Free Trade Agreement of 2017, which attempted to harmonize regulations across provinces but left implementation largely voluntary. New Brunswick’s approach differs by taking unilateral action – essentially saying they’ll recognize others’ standards even without reciprocal agreements.
Not everyone sees the move as unmitigated good news. During committee hearings that I attended, representatives from several professional regulatory bodies expressed concerns about maintaining standards and public safety.
“There are genuine differences in training requirements across provinces,” explained Janet Morris, representing the Association of New Brunswick Licensed Practical Nurses. “Our concern isn’t protectionism – it’s making sure everyone practicing here meets the standards New Brunswickers expect.”
The province’s approach addresses these concerns by maintaining a list of exceptions where public safety concerns outweigh the benefits of automatic recognition. Health professions with significant differences in scope of practice will still require case-by-case assessment.
Political reaction has largely followed predictable patterns. The opposition Liberals have criticized the bill as potentially undermining local standards while the Greens question whether it gives too much power to out-of-province corporations.
“We support the principle,” Liberal leader Susan Holt noted in a statement. “But the devil is always in the details. Will this become a race to the bottom for professional standards?”
What makes New Brunswick’s move particularly significant is its timing. With the Atlantic provinces facing unprecedented demographic challenges, the competition for skilled workers has intensified. Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island representatives were present for the announcement, with both provinces indicating they’re watching closely with an eye toward similar measures.
At Ottawa’s Interprovincial Commerce Conference last month, internal trade barriers dominated discussions among provincial trade ministers. The consensus was that action is needed, but New Brunswick is the first to move comprehensively rather than incrementally.
Federal Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne offered cautious support, telling reporters: “Any step toward a more integrated national economy deserves serious consideration. We’re reviewing the New Brunswick approach to see if it could inform federal policy.”
The legislation also addresses other trade irritants, including provincial procurement practices that have historically favored local suppliers, sometimes at significant additional cost to taxpayers. Under the new rules, companies from any province would compete on equal footing for government contracts above certain thresholds.
The Business Council of Canada estimates that full implementation of internal free trade could add between $50 billion and $130 billion to Canada’s GDP – approximately $4,000 per household annually.
Perhaps most tellingly, the province has included a sunset clause requiring review of the legislation after five years to assess its economic impact. This pragmatic approach has won support from business groups that have long pushed for evidence-based policy on trade issues.
As afternoon shadows lengthened across Fredericton, I spoke with Alex LeBlanc from the New Brunswick Business Council, who offered a perspective that seemed to capture the mood: “For decades, we’ve talked about internal trade as if it’s some abstract economic concept. But it’s not. It’s about whether a hairstylist from Quebec can cut hair in Edmundston without retraining. It’s about whether a New Brunswick company can bid on contracts in Ontario without special certifications. These are real barriers affecting real people.”
With the legislation expected to pass in the coming weeks, New Brunswick’s experiment in interprovincial openness could become the template other provinces follow – or avoid – depending on its success. Either way, it represents the most ambitious attempt yet to fulfill the promise of economic union that has remained elusive since Confederation.
