Action Taken to Make Our Region More Competitive

NOTE: The following is an op-ed piece from Premier Stephen McNeil.

Last week I met with New Brunswick Premier Brian Gallant and Prince Edward Island Premier Wade MacLauchlan to take significant steps in improving our region's competitiveness and positioning it for growth.

Earlier this year, Premier Gallant and I announced the creation of the Office of Regulatory Affairs and Service Effectiveness. The office's mandate is to reduce red tape - to get rid of unnecessary rules, practices, and processes that exist within and between our provinces.

Last week, the office was expanded to include Prince Edward Island.

Based on a shared vision of what regulation should and should not do, we also took steps toward better and less regulation across our region.

First, we agreed on a single framework to guide regulation by all three governments. We adopted a Premiers' Charter of Principles, which makes it clear that regulation will never be a first resort. Regulation should only be adopted when compelling evidence and consultation shows it's the only effective way to solve a serious problem.

The charter also establishes that legislation and regulations adopted in each province should be similar, if not identical, to those in the other provinces, making it easier to do business across our borders.

We also agreed to introduce, by next spring, common legislation to ensure that all three governments are held accountable to follow the charter, and to publicly report on progress in reducing regulatory burdens.

And we agreed to develop one method of measuring the burden of regulation so that the public can judge for itself how we are doing on a regional basis.

Finally, we agreed on two specific initiatives which will remove or lessen obstacles to doing business regionally. One will change three different sets of requirements to bid on government work to one common set of procurement documents.

The other will remove burdensome differences between the provinces regarding employers’ record keeping. These differences cost employers time and money but produce no benefit.

As a former small business owner, I can say with confidence that no one knows the impact of red tape better than our region's entrepreneurs. We have listened to them and we have acted.

Yet there is much that is left to be done and many challenges ahead.

The resolve and commitment shown by my colleagues affirms my conviction that with the right will and vision, we can help make a better future for all of us.