Ontario’s government vowed Tuesday to eliminate interprovincial trade barriers and streamline labour mobility as part of its economic strategy outlined in the throne speech opening the province’s 44th Parliament.
Lieutenant Governor Edith Dumont delivered the speech at Queen’s Park, presenting the Ford government’s agenda focused on protecting Ontario’s economy amid growing trade tensions with the United States.
“As its first order of business, your government will introduce legislation to protect Ontario through free trade within Canada,” Dumont said, reading the government’s prepared remarks.
The promised legislation would recognize credentials from other provinces automatically, allowing skilled workers to begin employment in Ontario more quickly while filling labour shortages.
“Hard-earned credentials from other provinces and territories will be recognized automatically, ensuring highly skilled workers from elsewhere in Canada can get on the job faster, fill key gaps in Ontario’s labour force and help grow our economy,” according to the speech.
Skills development focus
The throne speech emphasized continued investments in workforce training, building on the government’s previous $1.5 billion commitment to skills development programs.
“Ontario will do whatever it takes to protect our province’s greatest competitive advantage: our highly skilled, world-class workforce,” Dumont said, noting the government plans to expand its investments in training to help more workers secure employment.
The speech highlighted ongoing support for colleges and universities, promising “increased funding for training capacity and programs designed to fill critical gaps in the province’s workforce.”
Economic measures
The address positioned internal trade barriers as economically harmful, claiming they cost the Canadian economy $200 billion annually while increasing costs for goods and services by nearly 15 percent.
The government also promised to streamline environmental assessments and regulatory processes to accelerate development, particularly in the mining sector.
“What we used to do in decades we must now do in months,” the speech stated, referring to approval processes for resource development projects.
Energy strategy
Employers could benefit from the government’s pledge to transform Ontario into “a global clean energy superpower” by investing in new energy production, transmission and storage.
The speech noted electricity demand in the province is projected to grow by 75 percent over the next 25 years, requiring significant expansion of generating capacity to support economic growth.
The speech positioned these initiatives as part of the government’s response to U.S. trade policies under President Donald Trump, which it characterized as an “existential threat to Canada’s economy.”
