Government wants to give local companies a new Alberta 'advantage'

The Alberta government is mulling over ways it can tip the balance in favour of local companies to win lucrative government contracts.

The government is reviewing its procurement policyafter hearing from consulting engineers, road builders, the steel industry and the Alberta Forest Products Association, Infrastructure and Transportation Minister Brian Mason said Friday.

"The goal of this review is to establish procurement policy that supports opportunities for employment and training in Alberta, and provides benefits to local economies while remaining compliant with our trade agreements," Mason said in a speech to the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce.

According to Alberta Treasury Board and Finance, between $4 billion and $5 billion ayear is up for grabs in goods and servicesand construction contracts.

Building in the advantages

"I hate to use the term advantage," said Mason, explaining that local companies feel there is room for government to tip the balance in their favour.

"And so we're going to build in things like advantages or value added or projects that provide other economic benefits to the community."

Mason said the government musthonour its trade agreements which, depending the amount of the contract, stipulate that bidders from outside Albertaor Canadabe allowed to compete equally.

Hehinted there may be ways to avoid having Alberta land inthe middle of an international trade dispute.

"I've got some smart lawyers looking at how we can do it," he added.

Companies that win provincial government contracts are under increased scrutiny amid looming threats of trade barriers replacing free-trade zones.

Mason acknowledged the impact ofprotectionist U.S. President Donald Trump is very much a consideration.

"We're discovering that as we go, day-by-day," he said.

In May, the FortMcMurrayConstruction Association complained that workers from the community werebeing overlooked for jobs and contracts for services such as trucking supplies to the city.

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But the Alberta government said at the time that FortMcMurrayemployers received four out of every five contracts to rebuild the fire-damaged community.

A contract to produce 14 videos for the new Royal Alberta Museum on subjects ranging from the Edmonton Oilers to the province's insects was awarded last summer to North Shore Productions, from Portland, Oregon.

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The decision to give the contract to a production firm from the United States rattled some in the Alberta film community who saw it as a missed opportunity to create jobs and support the local industry.

The slogan "Alberta Advantage" was used by Alberta's previous Progressive Conservative government for about 15 years, ending in 2009.