The Council of Atlantic Premiers met with potential business partners in the Palliser Hotel yesterday to discuss future partnerships amidst a faltering economy.
At a luncheon hosted by the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, Premier Robert Ghiz of P.E.I., Premier Shawn Graham of New Brunswick, Cecil Clarke, attorney general and minister of justice for Nova Scotia, and Shawn Skinner, minister of innovation, trade and rural development in Newfoundland and Labrador, presented the possibility of getting a piece of Alberta’s still-strong economy.
All four said their first priority was the economy, addressing the balance Canada needs between green energy and development and the co-operation between Alberta’s and the eastern provinces’ labour forces.
“I think when the economy does recover, it will be Alberta leading the way,” Ghiz said, adding that Alberta still needs the goods and services provided by the island province.
Graham said he hopes to see elected officials open the door for companies a country apart to work together.
“Follow-up work … will be done by companies behind the scenes that will return that dividend for both respective economies,” Graham said.
During the luncheon, he told the Chamber of Commerce that as New Brunswick develops in its own energy sector, it hopes to become “the next Alberta.”
Clarke also mentioned a need to invest more in research and development, saying that “good science will lead the way” into the future.
