Vehicle inspection changes among New West initiatives
REGINA — The elimination of safety inspections on certain vehicles being imported between provinces was among the agreements announced Thursday by the premiers of Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.
The change, which Premier Brad Wall said is expected to be in place by April 2015, would cut the requirement for an out-of-province inspection on private vehicles that are not rebuilt and that are less than four years old or were inspected fewer than 90 days ago in the province from which they are arriving.
“Right now, technically, if you bring in a vehicle — any vehicle — and you want to plate it, you’d be required to have an inspection on the vehicle and we’re just saying, ‘Look, that’s not necessary, especially for the newer vehicles,’” Wall said Thursday, noting four years was chosen as the cut-off mark based on the general emissions and safety conditions of cars of that age.
Anyone bringing a vehicle into Saskatchewan will still need to pay PST on it, Wall said.
“It’s not really about buying a used car and bringing it back. It’s about when you move,” he said.
The vehicle inspection effort was one of several initiatives announced by the premiers Thursday. Another change intended to improve labour mobility will see provincial trades apprenticeship programs harmonized, with some payoffs likely by September, Wall said.
“We have 13 different apprenticeship processes in Canada, so someone who’s in maybe their second level of apprenticeship in a trade, they move, and they have to start over again. It just doesn’t make any sense,” Wall said.
The inspection and apprenticeship changes apply only to Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, the three provinces in the New West Partnership trade agreement. But Wall said he would raise the possibility of expanding to other provinces with other premiers.
During their conference call, the premiers also focused on problems with transporting western goods to market. They issued a statement calling on the federal government to require mandatory service level agreements between grain shippers and railways, accelerate a review of the Canada Transportation Act and expand monitoring systems for all commodities. They also asked Ottawa to intervene in labour issues affecting Vancouver’s federally regulated port.
The three premiers were originally scheduled to meet in person in Regina, but Alberta Premier Alison Redford, who is dealing with leadership concerns at home, decided to instead participate in the meeting by phone.
Wall said after that occurred, he suggested B.C. Premier Christy Clark also call in. A face-to-face meeting between the three in Saskatchewan will be rescheduled in the fall, when the trio is planning a summit on transportation and market access.
“We need all three premiers in the room to really get value for it, so we decided that we would do it by phone today, deal with the immediate and urgent issues that are on our plate … and then meet in person when all three of us are available later,” Clark said.
Wall had no comment on the situation facing Redford in Alberta, but said she was an active participant in the premiers’ phone call. Redford did not take part in a subsequent conference call with media.
The premiers also announced Thursday an agreement around opensource textbooks intended to improve advanced education affordability. They also released statements regarding increased economic engagement, one on Asia and the other about First Nations.