A day after the federal election, politicians in P.E.I. wanted to know what the provincial Progressive Conservatives’ priorities would be for the new Liberal government.
Premier Rob Lantz’s answer to those questions Tuesday in the legislature wasn’t surprising — reducing tolls on the Confederation Bridge and fees to take a ferry across the Northumberland Strait.
Both the federal Liberals and Conservatives pledged to either reduce or eliminate those tolls in the lead-up to Monday’s election, and Lantz said he’ll hold newly elected Prime Minister Mark Carney to that promise.
“It’s obviously a very big commitment that they’ve made to this province and I want to make sure that they live up to it and they live up to it quickly,” the premier said during question period.
“I don’t want this to be something that needs to be studied and mulled over for months and years at a time. I think it’s something that can be very simply implemented.”
As the dust settled from the April 28 federal election, the provincial legislature was full of reaction. Premier Rob Lantz congratulated Prime Minister Mark Carney and the new Liberal government, and said lobbying for promised reductions to the cost of using the Confederation Bridge and Northumberland Ferries are at the top of his list.
U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration’s continued threat to levy tariffs against the goods it imports from numerous countries, including Canada, has led to renewed talk of reducing trade barriers between provinces.
Lantz has previously said removing or lowering the fees to cross the Confederation Bridge to New Brunswick and ride the ferries to Nova Scotia would be a “quick win” on the interprovincial trade front. P.E.I. politicians have long argued that this would be only fair, given that the two services amount to a continuation of the TransCanada Highway.
The premier said Tuesday that he spoke with three of the four Liberal candidates who won their ridings Monday night, who also made the commitment to reducing those tolls as quickly as possible.
Last week, Carney promised that if elected, he would lower the round-trip toll on the Confederation Bridge by more than half, from $50 to $20, and lower the $86 cost of a ferry round trip “by at least half.”
The federal Conservatives had promised to eliminate the bridge tolls altogether and review the ferry service.
Lantz said Tuesday that a total elimination of fees is still his goal, but reducing the tolls is a good first step, saying it will leave money in Islanders’ pockets.
“My position has been to eliminate them, given the environment that we’re in,” he said. “It’s an unnecessary cost for us, it holds us back.
“But look, I’ll take a significant reduction over nothing, so in that regard I’m pleased.”
‘Difficult times ahead’
While the premier said he has no timeline as to when Carney might reduce the fees, he hopes to see a plan outlined in the new Liberal government’s first budget.
Carney spoke last month of his goal to achieve “free trade by Canada Day” among the provinces and territories.
Lantz said it’s important that provinces and the federal government continue to work to reduce trade barriers. The PC government has tabled a bill aimed at doing just that.
CBC News projects the Liberals will form the next government and that Liberal Leader Mark Carney will be elected to his first seat in the House of Commons in his suburban Ottawa riding of Nepean. Carney, speaking in Ottawa on election night, says he will always do his ‘best to represent everyone who calls Canada home.’
On Tuesday, Lantz said he’s happy to see the election of a “stable” federal government that can forge a path in a global economic environment upended by the U.S. trade wars.
“Donald Trump, he’s given no sign of backing down. He’s starting to repeat his threats against Canada,” Lantz said.
“There’s difficult times ahead… I think we’re well-positioned now, though, to move forward, and I’d like to see Canada become the most prosperous nation it can under those circumstances.”
