Article contentHouston said it is significant for the prime minister and his team to have passed Bill C-5, legislation to break down interprovincial barriers to trade and employment and to allow projects deemed by the government to be in the national interest to bypass certain regulations, in order to speed up construction.Article content“For myself and other premiers, we’re doing what we can in terms of the interprovincial trade barriers,” Houston said. “There is a lot of concrete action in just those two things. The major projects, the nation-building projects, there are a lot of them. Certainly in Nova Scotia, I’m passionate about our wind opportunity and I’m actually seeing that move at a significant pace.Article contentRelationship buildingArticle content“There are lots of i’s to dot, t’s to cross and technical analysis to happen but the very first step is to have agreement that there is something there,” Houston said. “Getting that agreement is something that might have taken years before but because of the relationships that are being built we can see where everyone stands much sooner in the process.Article contentArticle content“Canadians should be proud of the way governments are working together and Canadians should feel incredibly optimistic that their elected officials realize the need for urgency and feel that urgency.”Article contentHouston said the initial push was for provinces and territories to promote projects for the federal government to assess over the summer and the Carney government intends to stand up and open its Major Projects Office by Labour Day.Article content“There will be capacity there to really do analysis on them (projects),” Houston said.Article content“For me, personally, I have in my mind that over the fall we’d have some clarity on the early wins that the (federal) government would see for our country.Article content“It’s all happening.”Article content Ontario Premier Doug Ford says Canada’s premiers talked about shared goals at the premiers summit this week. Photo by Jack Boland /Toronto SunArticle contentHouston said it’s important not to focus on the artificial deadline of Aug. 1 that U.S. President Donald Trump has set for imposing a 35 per cent tariff on Canadian goods moving into the U.S. if a separate deal is not reached.Article contentArticle content“I haven’t been focused on the date,” Houston said. “The idea is to get the best deal and I would be worried that if we constrain ourselves that we have to get a deal by a certain date, we’d maybe have to do some things or give up some things or give up some leverage that we may not otherwise have to if we just focus on getting the best deal for Canadians.”Article contentHouston said no tariffs would be ideal but “we’re not in that world right now.”Article contentThe premier said Trump is pushing his tariff agenda.Article content“We have to be open-minded about what that might look like but there are many moving parts to that.”Article contentHouston said carve outs of goods that fall under the existing CUSMA (Canada-U.S.-Mexico trade agreement) from pending U.S. tariffs are essential.Article content“Keeping that intact is really, really important to our country and the rest will all fall into place.”Article contentRetaliatory tariffsArticle contentHouston said any retaliatory tariffs from Canada would have to be levied cautiously.
Houston turns corner, voices full-throated confidence in Prime Minister Mark Carney
