Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard is taking pride in the province's role behind the scenes getting the CETA trade pact signed.
"Today [...] both Mr. Trudeau and [E.U. Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker] made very positive remarks about Quebec's international role," he told CTV Montreal in a phone interview from Belgium, where he joined Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for the signing of the trade deal.
At a press conference announcing the pact, Trudeau specifically praised Quebec for its behind-the-scenes help saving stalled negotiations, which were snagged by concerns from the French-speaking Belgian region of Wallonia.
Quebec officials, he told reporters, helped convince their Wallonian counterparts to sign on.
The Premier says CETA will be a jobs boon for Quebec, which could get at least one out of the five jobs created in Canada by the trade deal.
"All this leads to new jobs," he said. "Open markets create jobs, closed markets destroy jobs. That's the main message here today."
In the past, Couillard has estimated CETA would create about 16,000 jobs in the province.
The agreement isn't without its critics, one of the most vocal being dairy farmers that are worried an invasion of goods from the European Union will clog the market. By January, there will be 17,000 more tons of European cheese imports entering Quebec.
"We share the concerns," admitted Couillard, adding that the federal government is expected to compensate cheese farmers for any losses.
He also maintained that, in the end, Quebec companies of all stripes will ultimately win out thanks to lowered barriers getting their products into the world's largest import market.
"I expect to see quite a significant, but I would not say immediate effect [for Quebec exporters]," he said. "Our economy, because of its size and nature and structure, has to be supported by exports. The moment you open markets, the more opportunities you create, the more job creation you'll have."
Negotiations to get CETA signed took seven years, and former Quebec premier Jean Charest has been involved for a vast amount of it.
As premier, he helped kick off talks in 2009, and after leaving politics, returned to negotiations as a consultant.
"[The deal will create] 80,000 new jobs in Canada," he told the Aaron Rand Show on CJAD 800.
"The other part of it that is fascinating is, when all of this started, we never thought we would be in an environment in which the Americans are going to be a lot more regressive on trade, more isolationist, more protectionist -and that's what is happening [in the current U.S. election]," said Charest.
"Whoever wins in the US is not going to be a good scenario for trade," he added.
Aaron Rand's full interview with Jean Charest---on what CETA means to Quebec, and how it took seven years to get this deal signed---will air on CJAD 800 following the 5 p.m. newscast on Monday.