Premier Gordon Campbell today laid out a comprehensive BC Liberal trade strategy founded on forging stronger national and global connections to build economic opportunity, attract investment and create B.C. jobs.
April 20, 2009Peace Arch – Premier Gordon Campbell today laid out a comprehensive BC Liberal trade strategy founded on forging stronger national and global connections to build economic opportunity, attract investment and create B.C. jobs.
“A key component of our economic plan has and will continue to be developing national, continental and international partnerships that boost our trade and create literally hundreds of thousands of jobs in every region of the province,” said Premier Campbell. “British Columbia is uniquely positioned in Canada as an international crossroads for travel and trade. We’re making record investments in airports, highways and ports to build our role as Canada’s Pacific Gateway. We’re forming new partnerships with U.S. states and emerging Asian economies. And we are working to break down barriers to trade and labour mobility between provinces and nations.”
Since 2001, the BC Liberal government has formed partnerships in a wide range of areas including labour mobility, trade, education and climate action with other provinces, the federal government, U.S. states and other countries in Asia and around the world. More than $70 billion in international imports and exports flow through B.C. borders each year.
“We’re working to reduce economic barriers nationally, continentally and internationally. We can improve the movement of people and services within Canada, build more efficient and stronger connections with the United States, and take advantage of opportunities in the Asia Pacific,” said Premier Campbell. “These partnerships are also critical as we move to address climate change and create jobs in the new green economy.”
National partnerships and economic initiatives:
- Forming a Western Economic Partnership with Alberta and Saskatchewan to create an even broader open trade agreement this year and make the West an even greater economic powerhouse.
- Created the Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement (TILMA) with Alberta, which will add $4.8 billion to real GDP, and create 78,000 new jobs in B.C. alone.
- Led creation of the national Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT) which will allow a person certified in any Canadian jurisdiction to be recognized and able to practise their profession in any other Canadian jurisdiction. B.C. was the first province to introduce enabling legislation for the AIT.
Continental partnerships and economic initiatives:
- The Province will host a Cross Border Summit this summer in Penticton to bring together political leaders and business representatives from Canada and the U.S. to highlight the importance of our trade relationship and the opportunities for freer trade.
- Supporting the Softwood Lumber Agreement, which returned $2.4 billion to B.C. companies and has provided a critical measure of stability to the forest sector.
- The $290-million Border Infrastructure program completed this month upgraded Highways 1, 10, 11, 15 and 91A. These upgrades are reducing congestion and improving the movement of goods and people through the Lower Mainland’s four border crossings.
- Worked with Washington State and Ottawa to create the Enhanced Driver’s Licence which allows citizens to cross into the United States at land or water ports of entry between Canada and the United States with a single piece of identification.
- Worked with Washington State on a “Greening the Border” program which will provide information to travelers on border wait times and line-up conditions through promotion of Advanced Traveler Information System and the NEXUS lane. This includes a pilot program that involves installing a traffic light north of the border, allowing motorists behind the signal to turn off idling engines. The program is estimated to reduce GHG emissions from southbound traffic at the Peace Arch Border Crossing by 45 per cent.
International partnerships and economic initiatives:
- The Province will host an Open Skies summit this September at the new Vancouver Convention Centre. Open Skies agreements would allow airlines to land at any airport that can handle their business and open up B.C.’s international airports to new direct flights from Asia, India and Europe that are currently prohibited by the federal government.
- Increasing B.C.’s marketing budget in China by 50 per cent, opening new trade offices in Asia and aggressively marketing the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games before, during and after the Games.
- Opened six Asia trade offices in Bangalore, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Seoul and Tokyo and the new Asia-Pacific Business Centre in Vancouver.
- Launched a BC-Asia Twinning Program to help communities form partnerships with communities in Asia.
- Formed the Asia Pacific Trade Council to advise government on how to increase investment and trade with the Asia Pacific Region.
- Signed agreements on education, trade, research and health with India, China and South Korea.
- Increased trade with the Asia Pacific has the potential to generate an additional $76 billion in annual trade and 255,000 new jobs in B.C. by 2020.
Green economy initiatives:
- First province to join the Western Climate Initiative, which includes 11 member states and provinces representing over 83 million people with a collective GDP of $3.6 trillion and is working to develop a regional cap-and-trade system.
- Formed the Pacific Coast Collaborative with Washington, California, Oregon and Alaska to co-operate on clean energy; regional transportation; innovation, research and development; climate change; Pacific Ocean health and enhancing a sustainable regional economy.
- Joined the International Carbon Action Partnership with European Union countries and U.S. states to share best practices on strategies such as the development of compatible global carbon trading systems.
- One of the first provinces to join the Climate Registry, a new cross-border greenhouse gas registry that is the largest co-operative effort in North America on climate change.
- Part of the Western Renewable Energy Zone initiative with 11 U.S. states, Alberta and parts of Mexico to identify areas in the West with vast renewable resources.
- Building the Hydrogen Highway from B.C. to California, with the first leg to be completed in time for the Olympics.
