WINNIPEG – Manitoba Progressive Conservatives are promising to join a western trade agreement if they win the April 19 provincial election.
Tory Leader Brian Pallister has long committed to joining the New West Partnership and has now made it part of his official campaign platform.
Pallister says joining the other three western provinces would open up more business opportunities to Manitoba companies and create more jobs.
Last year, Saskatchewan started limiting some Crown corporation contracts to businesses within the trade zone, and Alberta announced preferential pricing for craft breweries based in the three provinces.
Premier Greg Selinger has said Manitoba trades as much to the east as the west, and he is focused on improving a national trade deal called the Agreement on Internal Trade.
Pallister says there is nothing to prevent Manitoba from being part of both a national trade deal and a regional one.