Throughout the spring federal election campaign, Liberal Leader Mark Carney repeatedly vowed to "eliminate" interprovincial trade barriers and create "free trade by Canada Day."
Beginning Friday, Premier Danielle Smith’s United Conservative government is officially lowering the required threshold for citizens to initiate a provincewide referendum, including on separation.
The announcement from Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne came late Sunday evening, following a phone call between Prime Minister Mark Carney and U.S. President Donald Trump.
The list includes Marc-André Blanchard, who takes over in July as Prime Minister Mark Carney's chief of staff. Blanchard previously worked as a lawyer and as Canada’s ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations.
The organization's latest "internal trade report card" grades the federal and provincial governments based on factors related to interprovincial and territorial co-operation. It said Nova Scotia ranked highest in its 2025 evaluation, as the first province to introduce and implement mutual recognition legislation.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has set Aug. 18 as the date for the byelection to choose Kurek's replacement.