WHEREAS the Canadian government is conducting negotiations with the European Union EU on a Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement CETA that includes full access to local government procurement, which could significantly reduce the freedom of local governments to hire or source locally, or to use procurement policies as a tool for social and economic development, environmental protection and support for local farmers and small businesses; AND WHEREAS the provincial and territorial governments are responsible for the provision of procurement legislation for local governments, school boards, universities, hospitals and other provincial agencies: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that UBCM call upon the federal government, through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, the provinces and territories and other avenues, to enact strong domestic policy to preserve the right of local governments, school boards, universities, hospitals and other provincial agencies to use public procurement and investment as social tools to create jobs, protect the environment, stimulate local development, and support the social, economic, and environmental goals of their local communities.
Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Minister Responsible for Labour The Province has conducted ongoing consultations with the Union of British Columbia Municipalities UBCM as the Canada-European Union negotiations proceed. Through these consultations and discussions, the Province has been made aware of UBCMs concerns regarding the potential application of the proposed agreement to local governments, especially in the areas of public procurement and investment. The Government of Canada states that a Canada-European Union trade agreement would not prevent governments from addressing the needs of their constituents and providing support to local businesses through grants, loans and fiscal incentives and selection criteria such as quality, price including transportation costs and duties, technical requirements or relevant experience in competitive bids. As the negotiations proceed, the Province will continue to bring forward UBCMs concerns to the federal government.