News Release

CHARLOTTETOWN (GNB) – Premier Wade MacLauchlan of Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick Premier Brian Gallant and Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil met in Charlottetown today to explore shared priorities and identify opportunities to work together to further the interests of the region.

They announced that their governments have entered into a partnership to reduce red tape and position the region for growth.

In March 2015, premiers McNeil and Gallant announced the creation of the Office of Regulatory Affairs and Service Effectiveness to reduce the regulatory burden on residents and businesses while protecting public health and safety, the environment, and employee and consumer interests. Today, MacLauchlan announced that Prince Edward Island has joined this regional partnership to harmonize government regulation and improve the effectiveness of public services.

"This shared commitment to tackling red tape is unprecedented in the Maritimes,” said McNeil. “It presents a significant and unique opportunity to take action to make our region more competitive by eliminating trade barriers, reducing cost and hassle for business, and improving government services."

The three premiers also discussed a series of actions designed to break down barriers between provinces and make it easier to do business in the Maritimes.

“We welcome Prince Edward Island to this initiative," said Gallant. "This is about making it easier for businesses that operate, or want to operate in all three provinces. By reducing and better aligning regulations in the three provinces, we will help create the conditions for economic growth and job creation. By working together we will overcome our collective challenges and create jobs in the region.”

The premiers highlighted ways to work together to reduce the burden of regulation for businesses in the region.

"When we combine our efforts, we can more effectively tackle common issues, such as regulatory burden, which is often cited as an impediment to our business community,” said MacLauchlan. “We look forward to the same type of collaborative approach with Ottawa. We recognize that strong partnerships, with our federal government and within our region, are critical to our continued growth and prosperity.”

The premiers will seek a meeting with the prime minister in the near future to discuss ways that the federal and provincial governments can work together for the benefit of the Maritime provinces and all Canadians.