Senator Cuzner: Nice to see you both, ministers — to a lesser extent Minister LeBlanc. Minister LeBlanc, I just can’t get over how much you enjoy coming to this chamber.

Minister, one thing about mobility, rebounding off my colleague’s questions about credentialing and the recognition of interprovincial credentials, the big challenge of mobility will be the cost. We know that with the drop in the price of oil, for many of the companies in the West that for a long time relied on labour from Atlantic and Central Canada, those kinds of opportunities have ceased to exist.

The past government recognized this and put in some provisions for tax incentives for mobility. Do you see that continuing? We want to match job opportunities with people who have those skills. Do you see this being expanded upon in light of this challenge you have?

Mr. LeBlanc: Senator, your question is bang on. In the part of the country you represent, like mine, we see at the airports — whether it’s Halifax or Moncton — many hard-working women and men going to other parts of the country to earn good wages in sectors of the economy that end up driving the regional economies in our part of the country.

I’ve said before that every Canadian should be interested in this success. I said this to Premier Smith last night: The resource economies of the country create employment in every part of the country and add economic value. You’re right, for many reasons — global markets, other factors — there are some challenges.

A tax credit to incentivize that labour mobility I think was an idea that our Conservative colleagues in the other place had been proposing: a series of measures around tools for tradespeople and labour mobility. I think there’s a lot of merit — in my own view — in those ideas. I know the Minister of Finance is looking at ways to help the work with the unions and representatives of many of these workers. How can we have fiscal instruments that would encourage and support that mobility? To your colleague’s question earlier, senator, how can we also incentivize some of the training opportunities that would exist? Obviously, the provinces have a critical role to play on the training side, but we want to be a partner for them as well.

Senator Cuzner: Thank you very much. We’ve seen in this country sporadic attempts at breaking down interprovincial barriers in the past. The actions by the current president have really galvanized Canadians, and it seems to be that everyone sees it is imperative now.

You have been up close and personal with and you understand the spontaneity of this current president. Should we land a trade deal with him? Do you think that you take the foot off the gas pedal? Will that degree of urgency the government has right now continue even if we do land a trade deal with the U.S.?

Mr. LeBlanc: Senator, thank you for the question. The short answer is no. The importance of giving ourselves the ability to properly but expeditiously work with partners to approve projects in the national interest will exist whether or not we’re successful in securing a trade deal with the United States.

You saw yesterday — and I was in that meeting yesterday morning in Kananaskis with the Prime Minister and the president — they have given us again a mandate with a shortened “up to,” hopefully less than 30 days, to see if we can hammer out the remaining elements of that deal, but the economic uncertainty will not be lifted if we’re successful.

If we’re not successful, then we really have to double down on ways to support workers and businesses and sectors in our economy. Imagine, for steel producers, if we’re building big national projects, there is an opportunity therein immediately for some of the great workers and businesses that produce some of Canada’s steel. That is just one example amongst many.

The other thing, Senator Cuzner, which I think is instructive is that there is built into the CUSMA, that is, the Canada-United States-Mexico trade agreement, a review in 2026. To your point about the unpredictability of the American administration, President Trump will be the American president when that review comes up. I spoke to the Mexican economy minister yesterday about how we can work with our partners in Mexico when that review ultimately comes upon us. That uncertainty, sadly, will not dissipate if we get, as we hope we can, in the short term a deal.

There still is, I think, the urgency of giving ourselves the right instruments to build big nation-building projects again.