NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release 2008OTP0284-001841 Dec. 5, 2008	Office of the Premier Ministry of Technology, Trade and Economic Development
AGREEMENT EXTENDS FULL LABOUR MOBILITY ACROSS CANADA

VICTORIA – Full labour mobility between provinces was confirmed today by agreement among Canada’s labour and trade ministers, breaking down economic barriers and allowing Canadians and their families to move freely throughout the country, Premier Gordon Campbell said today.

 

 “Freeing up the enormous talent and enterprise of British Columbians and all Canadians by maximizing labour mobility is critical to building our economic strength, particularly during challenging economic times,” Premier Campbell said. “Full labour mobility will allow Canadians to move freely, taking advantage of job opportunities, and helps address long-term skilled worker shortages, such as we will face in B.C. This is an important step forward, and we need to continue to work on removing similar barriers to trade and investment, so we have full trade and labour mobility across the country.”

 

Negotiated as part of Canada’s Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT), the new labour mobility provisions require that, effective April 1, 2009, people with a specific professional or occupational certification in one province or territory will be recognized as qualified to practise their profession in all provinces and territories where their profession or occupation is regulated.

 

The agreement was approved today by the Committee on Internal Trade (CIT), which is made up of federal, provincial and territorial internal trade ministers. It honours a commitment made by Canada’s premiers last July to achieve full labour mobility for Canadians.

 

“This agreement will give Canadians the freedom to put their education and skills to work wherever they choose and wherever those opportunities exist,” said Minister of Technology, Trade and Economic Development Ida Chong. “That’s why we signed the Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement (TILMA) with Alberta, which continues to serve as an inspiration for full labour mobility and freer trade on the national level.”

 

-30-

Media contact:	Bridgitte Anderson Press Secretary Office of the Premier 604 307-7177	Joanne Whittier Communications Manager Ministry of Technology, Trade and Economic Development 250 356-9428
For more information on government services or to subscribe to the Province’s news feeds using RSS, visit the Province’s website at www.gov.bc.ca.