A trade dispute ruling in favour of four western Canadian provinces is set to increase labour mobility for B.C.'s certified general accountants (CGAs).
"For 10 years, B.C. has led Canada in red-tape reduction and this development will remove needless restrictions on our CGAs," said Jobs Minister Pat Bell.
In November 2010, Manitoba launched dispute resolution proceedings against Ontario under the national Agreement on Internal Trade. Manitoba objected to measures maintained by Ontario that subjected CGAs certified in public accountancy by other provinces to undergo an additional assessment order to become certified in Ontario.
B.C., Saskatchewan and Alberta also objected to Ontario's measures and intervened.
The report from the dispute resolution panel found that Ontario's measures were inconsistent with the Agreement on Internal Trade and recommended that Ontario change its measures to be compliant by April 15.
"This finding is a great example of how our commitment to removing barriers to trade can create greater business opportunities for British Columbians, building on the progress of the B.C. Jobs Plan," Bell said.
Under the Agreement on Internal Trade, provinces that fail to comply with panel rulings face financial penalties. The agreement also provides for an appeal process.
Of the approximately 2,200 CGAs in Canada that practise public accounting, 1,200 live and work in B.C.
