MPs Urged to Remove Red Tape, Reform Laws to Boost Canada’s Competitiveness

Rogers Communications President and Chief Executive Officer Joe Natale tests his microphone with parliamentary staff as he waits to appear virtually before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology in Ottawa, Canada, on March 29, 2021. Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press

Experts recently testifying before a Commons committee called for lowering interprovincial trade barriers, reforming Canadian laws on competition, and improving preparedness for the digital economy to boost Canada’s competitiveness.

The experts were invited by the House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology, which has been meeting over the past few weeks to undertake a series of studies on competitiveness in Canada.

Interprovincial Trade Barriers

Trevor Tombe, an associate professor at the University of Calgary, told the committee on April 20 that interprovincial trade barriers have dragged down Canada’s national productivity, competitiveness, and economic prosperity.