As the threat of a tariff war with the U.S. looms, local governments across the nation are exploring ways to favour a Canada-first economy.
Saanich, among many other Greater Victoria municipalities, addressed this at a council meeting earlier this month.
Coun. Colin Plant put forward a motion requesting staff report on the potential impact on Saanich for prioritizing Canadian-made products and services during the trade dispute.
“The District of Saanich has a role to play,” said Plant. “The resolution is intended to provide the public with the understanding that their council is in alignment with what has been discussed provincially and federally in providing a collective response.”
Brent Reems, Saanich’s chief administrative officer, said the district’s procurement process is guided by trade agreements set by senior levels of government which limits the municipality’s ability to make changes independently.
Reems noted that amidst the current political climate, the provincial government is currently reviewing its procurement framework, highlighting that any changes at that level could impact local decision-making. He added that Saanich may have more flexibility with smaller purchases.
“Most of those trade agreements relate to goods and services that are procured over a certain dollar value,” said Reems. “There would be perhaps some more freedom for us to act for smaller procurements that are under those thresholds.”
Mayor Dean Murdock supported Plant, emphasizing the potential impact of a tariff war on Canada while reiterating the importance of prioritizing Canadian goods.
“This is our time to act to fortify Canadian jobs and Canadian employees and push back against what are clearly punitive and unfair tariffs,” said Murdock. “Anything that we're able to do to use our purchasing power to… make sure that people don't suffer through what is bound to be a period of hardship.”
Coun. Karen Harper also voiced her support, mentioning that this issue needed to be addressed immediately.
“It's very, very important… to have a report that will help us better understand how this may impact the nature of the procurement,” said Harper. “It may also impact the nature of the time frames of various projects because of the changes.”
