Wall targets Alberta government ‘protectionism’

Sask. premier trades barbs with trade minister in licence plate fight

EDMONTON Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall said the Alberta government has exhibited a disturbing pattern of behaviour while firing back at the province in the ongoing licence plate spat.

But Alberta Trade Minister Deron Bilous said that’s “hogwash.”

“There have been a series of provocations from the NDP government of Alberta that regrettably make this retaliatory measure necessary,” Wall said in a statement sent Friday to Postmedia.

“I would urge all Alberta residents to contact their provincial government and urge them to stop the protectionist measures and return to the spirit of the New West Partnership.”

Wall also accused the NDP of discriminating against Saskatchewan contractors, shutting them out of government project bids.

As well, he said Premier Rachel Notley foiled a cross-Canada free trade deal at the 2016 premiers meeting in Whitehorse by insisting on a 20 per cent local clause.

“There is a pattern of behaviour that is disturbing. And Saskatchewan will not abide by it,” Wall said.

In an interview with Postmedia on Friday afternoon, Bilous dismissed Wall’s claims.

Bilous pointed out all contracts are freely available online to any company that wants them. As for the 20 per cent clause Wall was referring to, it doesn’t apply to any province in the New West Partnership — including Saskatchewan, he said.

Wall insisted in his statement that his government remains free traders, but Bilous said those words don’t match the outgoing premier’s actions.

“I take issue when a province brings in a restriction, tries to block Alberta companies or make it difficult for Alberta companies to work on Saskatchewan job sites,” Bilous said.

The issue began Wednesday when Saskatchewan Highways and Infrastructure Minister Dave Marit announced that all Alberta contractors working on highway sites in his province would need to display Saskatchewan licence plates.

Bilous responded with an ultimatum to roll back the decision or the issue would go to court.

At the time, Marit denied the action was in retaliation for a 2016 kerfuffle over beer prices, in which Alberta hiked the price of beer sold in the province by $1.25 a litre and launched a grant program to help small Alberta brewers. That move sparked court challenges from out-of-province companies argu- ing the move hindered free trade.

But in his letter Friday, Wall confirmed Saskatchewan’s most recent move was indeed retaliatory.

Still, Bilous is hopeful the issue will be resolved — and that the Saskatchewan government soon picks up the phone, which they have yet to do.

There has been some discussion about our government’s decision to require Saskatchewan licensed vehicles when companies from Alberta are working on new projects undertaken by the Saskatchewan Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure.

I want to stress that we took this action reluctantly.

Our government is, and always has been, a strong supporter of free trade, both within Canada and outside our borders. We believe eliminating tariffs and other barriers to trade is crucial to building prosperity for all Canadians.

In fact, one of our first decisions after we were first elected to office in 2007 was to join the New West Partnership, which is dedicated to reducing trade barriers in the west. The previous NDP government in Saskatchewan refused to join the partnership.

Have no doubt, we are free traders. However, there have been a series of provocations from the NDP government of Alberta that regrettably make this retaliatory measure necessary.

The Saskatchewan Heavy Construction Association (SHCA) has told us that vehicles with Saskatchewan licence plates are not welcome on government of Alberta construction sites. Furthermore, according to the association, Saskatchewan contractors have been shut out of bidding on Alberta government projects. Tender packages available for Alberta-based contractors are not made available to companies from Saskatchewan.

In an interview, Shantel Lipp, the president of the SHCA, said Alberta has taken protection of its construction industry “to an extreme.” We will not stand by while the government of Alberta discriminates against Saskatchewan contractors.

The government of Alberta of late has done much to restrict free procurement and trade.

In 2016, Canada’s premiers held their annual meeting in Whitehorse. At that meeting, the premiers set out to negotiate a new internal trade agreement that would reduce barriers to trade. This would have included new provisions on government procurement.

Premier Rachel Notley insisted on a 20-percent set-aside for Alberta-based companies. That would mean at least 20 per cent of all government of Alberta contracts would be offlimits to companies based outside Alberta.

Similarly, Alberta continues to discriminate against craft brewers based in Saskatchewan and other provinces. In 2016, the Notley government moved to one standard beer mark-up of $1.25 per litre regardless of company size, location or level of production. However, that policy change also came with grants to small, Alberta-based producers that effectively offset the new mark-up.

This policy put companies like Great Western Brewing in Saskatoon at a competitive disadvantage. A panel set up under the Agreement on Internal Trade — the agreement governing trade among the provinces — ruled that Alberta’s grant program discriminated against brewers from other provinces and was contrary to Alberta’s free trade obligations. But rather than adjusting its policy, Alberta decided to appeal the ruling.

There is a pattern of behaviour that is disturbing. And Saskatchewan will not abide by it.

Our opposition to the government of Alberta’s protectionist practices does not arise from any animosity to the people of Alberta. On the contrary, I believe Canada is stronger with a strong Alberta. We have consistently defended Alberta’s interests generally, and the interests of the energy sector specifically, and will continue to do so.

But we will first and foremost defend the interests of Saskatchewan. That’s why we have taken this action. I would urge all Alberta residents to contact their provincial government and urge them to stop the protectionist measures and return to the spirit of the New West Partnership.

Free trade is in the best interests of both our provinces.

It will be a good day for Western Canada when the government of Alberta returns to its traditional position for free trade and removing inter-provincial trade barriers.

There is a pattern ... that is disturbing. And Saskatchewan will not abide by it.