NEW WEST PARTNERSHIP: SK, AB, BC Trade Agreement (2010)

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SASKATCHEWAN, ALBERTA AND BC LAUNCH NEW WEST PARTNERSHIP

[ http://www.newwestpartnership.ca/NR-043010 ]

April 30, 2010

Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan launched the New West Partnership today, creating an economic powerhouse of nine million people with a combined GDP of more than $550 billion.

The New West Partnership is an ambitious agreement that will create Canada's largest interprovincial barrier-free trade and investment market and see the three westernmost provinces work together in unprecedented ways to the benefit of workers, businesses and investors in all three provinces.

"This represents an historic step forward for western provinces, as they work together to provide economic leadership," Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall said. "We are combining the strength of our three vibrant economies and working together to create lasting prosperity. Our three provinces have created a model that cements the West as the economic powerhouse of Canada."

The three provinces signed the New West Partnership at the third joint British Columbia-Alberta-Saskatchewan Cabinet meeting in Regina. Building on shared strengths, the New West Partnership contains four components:

A comprehensive economic agreement, which will remove remaining barriers to trade, investment and labour mobility, further enhancing the competitiveness of Canada's western provinces;

An international co-operation agreement, that will see the three provinces co-operate on trade and investment missions to international markets, and share foreign market intelligence to advance joint interests and increase business competitiveness;

An innovation agreement, which will enable provincial innovation efforts to be co-ordinated to better attract investment and talent, helping build critical mass of innovation activities in the West; and

A procurement agreement that will enable the provinces to capitalize on their combined buying power through the joint procurement of goods and services.

"To compete in the 21st century global economy, governments must work together to break down barriers and create opportunity," Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach said. "The New West Partnership creates more choice for businesses, workers and consumers. It allows the West to market itself as one region to bolster export development and attract investment."

"In today's global economy we need to break down barriers and open trade within our borders to build a stronger Canada," British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell said. "The New West Partnership creates a strong economic alliance in Western Canada that will build stronger connections between our provinces and improve our competitiveness."

The first major undertaking of the New West Partnership will be a joint mission to China and Japan in May. Together, the three provinces will promote trade and commerce opportunities with Canada's newest free trade region and draw attention to the New West's global leadership in clean technology, natural resources, and agri-food and agriculture.

The Premiers will also highlight Western Canada's many geographic and infrastructure advantages, including the region's multi-modal Pacific Gateway and Corridor transportation system, and their unwavering support for open skies and open trade with the Asia Pacific region.

The New West Partnership Agreement can be viewed at
[ www.gov.sk.ca/nwp ] -30-

For more information, contact:

Ian Hanna, Executive Council
Regina
Phone: 306-787-2127

Rebecca Rogoschewsky, Executive Council
Regina
Phone: 306-787-0980

Cam Hantiuk, Office of the Premier
Edmonton, AB
Phone: 780-422-4924

Bridgitte Anderson, Office of the Premier
Victoria, BC
Phone: 604-307-7177


Related Attachments

NWP Backgrounder
[ http://www.newwestpartnership.ca/adx/as ... 5b1%5d.pdf ]

New West Partnership – Agreement
[ http://www.newwestpartnership.ca/adx/as ... 5b1%5d.pdf ]

Joint Decision Gov't Entities
[ http://www.newwestpartnership.ca/adx/as ... 5b1%5d.pdf ]

Joint Decision BCIMC and AIMCo
[ http://www.newwestpartnership.ca/adx/as ... 5b1%5d.pdf ]

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NEW WEST PARTNERSHIP NEWS RELEASES

[ http://www.newwestpartnership.ca/newsreleases ]

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NEW WEST PARTNERSHIP (NWP) COMMITS TO REDUCE EXCEPTIONS

[ http://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/n ... ust/28/nwp ]

Released on August 28, 2014

Today, Premiers Brad Wall, Dave Hancock and Christy Clark agreed to review the list of exceptions to the New West Partnership Trade Agreement (NWPTA) to make trade in the New West even more open.

Currently, the NWPTA provides the most open trading environment in Canada. Premiers are asking Ministers responsible to implement further improvements.

Specifically, Ministers are to:
implement a bid protest mechanism by November 2014; and
review exceptions to determine if there are other possible improvements to liberalize trade, particularly in the area of occupational health and safety by March 31, 2015.
“While exceptions can be important in areas like occupational health and safety, it makes sense to review these from time to time to harmonize those that create unnecessary barriers to trade,” said Premier Christy Clark. "For example, if we can all adopt the highest standard among our jurisdictions for things like first aid kits that will make trade across the region easier.”

The New West Partnership has undertaken significant work to make it easier for businesses to operate across the region by harmonizing trucking rules and regulations, creating a single window for business registration, and ensuring consistent rules across the three provinces.

“In today’s businesses environment companies and workers often cross provincial borders,” Premier Brad Wall said. “We all have a strong interest in ensuring worker health and safety and it makes sense to have a common set of rules for businesses and workers to uphold these safety objectives.”

"The New West Partnership is the model for eliminating unnecessary barriers to trade," said Premier Dave Hancock. "We continue to break down barriers to the benefit of citizens in each of our provinces.”

Premiers noted the federal government's interest in internal trade and expressed hope that the federal government will come to the table with as much ambition regarding federal barriers as premiers have in the New West.

“Wow, that was fast,” said Dan Kelly President of CFIB. “It‘s terrific to see the three western provinces showing leadership on this issue and resolving small but important examples of challenges to interprovincial trade.” -30-

For more information, contact:

Kathy Young, Executive Council, Regina
Phone: 306-787-0425
Email: kathy.young@gov.sk.ca
Cell: 306-526-8927

Derek Cummings
Alberta International and Intergovernmental Relations, Alberta
Phone: 780-422-1022
Email: Derek.Cummings@gov.ab.ca
Cell: 780-974-5341

Ben Chin, Communications and Issues Management, BC
Phone: 250-588-3113
Email: Ben.chin@gov.bc.ca

[Oscar]

Alberta fears green 'misinformation' on fracking: documents

[ http://www.timescolonist.com/technology ... ml　]

POSTMEDIA NEWS AUGUST 19, 2011　

Leaked Alberta cabinet documents suggest the province is worried environmental groups will undermine public support for shale gas development by spreading "misinformation" about health and environmental effects of chemical fracking.

The records show the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers has offered to work with the government to "enhance" public relations efforts. CAPP, a powerful industry lobby group, is the only non-governmental organization that will be consulted during inter-governmental talks.

The documents were leaked to the NDP on Thursday, one week after federal documents obtained under access to information laws revealed CAPP helped organize the Alberta government's public relations strategy to polish the image of the oilsands.

A draft project outline attached to the Aug. 3 briefing note elaborates on government concerns, saying the public is being exposed to a "mixed package" of information and may not be able to come to an informed decision.

"Environmental non-government organization are supporting an ill-informed campaign on hydraulic fracturing and water-related issues in British Columbia and this is expected to grow as shale gas development expands into Alberta and Saskatchewan," the outline says.

NDP environment critic Rachel Notley called on the government to launch an independent investigation into the safety of hydraulic fracking.

"The Conservative government has already made its decision around the safety and the pros and cons of hydraulic fracturing of shale gas," Notley said. "Having made that decision, they are now proceeding to simply find ways to enable industry to access it as quickly as possible."

Energy Department spokesman Jay O'Neill said the project outline is a draft document and has not been formally adopted by Alberta.

The government has not decided whether to collaborate with CAPP regarding public relations, he said, and he is unaware of any plans to conduct an independent or scientific review of fracking safety.

Hydraulic fracturing, known as fracking, shoots a mix of water, chemicals and sand deep into the earth to break up shale rock and release oil or natural gas.

The practice is controversial, as critics fear the chemicals will leak into the water supply.

- - - -

SEE:

BRIEFING NOTE: SUBJECT: New West Partnership and project charter – "Collaboration and Information Sharing, Industry Water Use and Hydraulic Fracture Technology"

[ http://www.scribd.com/doc/62597277/Frac ... efing-Note ]

DATE: August 3, 2011

ISSUE:　 The Minister’s of Energy for British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan signed a Memorandum of Understanding December 16, 2010 to provide for collaboration and joint action on issues related to unconventional shale gas development. One of several priority initiatives of the partnership is to work together to address fracture technology and water issues. [ . . . ]

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Documents Reveal Industry and Gov't Collude on Shale Gas

[ http://thetyee.ca/News/2011/08/19/Gover ... Shale-Gas/ ]

Alberta New Dems release secret agreements about handling public opinion.

By Andrew Nikiforuk, August 19, 2011 TheTyee.ca

EXCERPT:

New West Partnership

Both documents released by the New Democrats relate to the New West Partnership, a little known free trade deal between Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia. The agreement essentially ensures that all three provinces must operate by similar environmental standards or the lowest common denominator.

Under the New West Partnership, Canada's three major hydrocarbon-producing provinces agreed to collaborate on industry water use and hydraulic fracture technology in Dec. 2010.

The secret agreement, which is not on the partnership's website, [ http://www.newwestpartnershiptrade.ca/index.asp ] admits that hydraulic fracturing fluids "can include water, hydrocarbons, gels or inert-gas-based foams." To date none of the three provinces have disclosed what toxic compounds are actually being used in fracking fluids.

'Growing public concern' noted in documents

The lead agency for the collaboration and information agreement on fracking is the BC Ministry of Energy Mines and the project is led by Linda Beltrano. The deal acknowledges that the three provinces lack "a cohesive inter-governmental and inter-agency strategy to address growing public concern in the rapid expansion of shale gas development" and expresses concerns about regulations or policy that might "affect individual provinces' competitive position."

The deal also reveals that shale gas will create "a new large water use category" for which best practices and regulations don't really exist. The agreement's three primary goals are to boost public confidence, "address industry's need for water" and achieve vague "regulatory outcomes."

It also accuses "environmental non-government organizations" of "supporting an ill-informed campaign on hydraulic fracturing and water related issues in British Columbia." The only non-government stakeholder listed on the agreement is the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers.

According to the plan, the three western provinces will shortly unveil "consistent communication documents and key messages about shale as development" as well as baseline water evaluations within the next couple of months.

The threat posed by hydraulic fracturing and unconventional oil and gas drilling to western groundwater is no idle matter. More than two million western Canadians use groundwater as their drinking source. [ http://www.wheatleyriver.ca/wp-content/ ... easure.pdf ] In fact nearly half of the population of Saskatchewan and one third of the citizens of Alberta and British Columbia rely on groundwater.

To date the majority of Canada's 30 major aquifers remain unmapped. Moreover all three provincial energy regulators have allowed hydraulic fracturing in coal seams, oil shale and shale gas plays without transparent groundwater baseline studies or monitoring as recommended [ LINK IS BROKEN ] by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment in 2002. Without proper baseline data, regulators can't track groundwater contaminants.

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Manitoba Joins New West Partnership

[ http://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/n ... -agreement ]

Released on November 17, 2016

Premiers of Canada's four western provinces today announced that Manitoba has joined the New West Partnership Trade Agreement, strengthening and expanding Canada’s largest, barrier-free interprovincial market.

With the inclusion of Manitoba, the partnership creates an open, common market of more than 11 million people, with a combined GDP of more than $750 billion.

“Business owners, community leaders and chambers of commerce from across Manitoba have long called for our province to pursue new opportunities for growth and reduced trade barriers,” said Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister. “Joining the New West Partnership will bring these advantages. We look forward to working with British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan to expand opportunities and support stronger economies right across western Canada.”

The agreement commits each jurisdiction to enhance trade, investment and labour mobility, and to remove barriers to movement of goods, services, investment, and people within and between the provinces.

“We are pleased to welcome Manitoba into the New West Partnership,” Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall said. “We’ve had great success over the past six years in removing barriers and opening up trade within our region. Together, we can continue to reduce hurdles affecting long-term business opportunities and make western Canada even stronger.”

“Alberta is proud to work with our western neighbours to grow, strengthen and diversify the economy,” said Alberta Premier Rachel Notley. “We share a common commitment to creating jobs, enhancing opportunities for enterprise and investment, and increasing prosperity throughout and beyond western Canada.”

“Western provinces are leaders in reducing barriers to trade, and bringing Manitoba into the New West Partnership Trade Agreement can only strengthen our open market,” said British Columbia Premier Christy Clark. “By joining forces, we can continue to expand our economies and benefit all Canadians.”

The original New West Partnership Trade Agreement came into effect July 1, 2010, and has been fully implemented since July 1, 2013.

For more information on the agreement, visit [ http://www.newwestpartnershiptrade.ca ]. -30-

For more information, contact:

Olivia Baldwin-Valainis, Government of Manitoba, Winnipeg
Phone: 204-945-1494
Email: Olivia.Baldwin-Valainis@leg.gov.mb.ca
Cell: 204-396-3743

Kathy Young, Executive Council, Regina
Phone: 306-787-0425
Email: kathy.young@gov.sk.ca
Cell: 306-526-8927

Cheryl Oates, Office of the Premier, Edmonton
Phone: 780-422-4905
Email: cheryl.oates@gov.ab.ca
Cell: 780-691-7357

Stephen Smart, Office of the Premier, Victoria
Phone: 778-389-6202
Email: Stephen.Smart@gov.bc.ca