The Globe and Mail reports in its Thursday edition that National Bank of Canada head Laurent Ferreira is urging Ottawa to appoint an official to eliminate regulatory barriers to economic growth amid the pressure from U.S. tariffs. The Globe's Stefanie Marotta writes that he noted that Canada's economic performance is lagging behind the U.S. and other G7 nations, with declines in productivity and GDP per capita, during a conference call on the BOC's first quarter earnings. Mr. Ferreira said: "Canadian companies are facing excessive regulation and oversight. Added to the mix, we face a U.S. administration with a pro-business and protectionist agenda." He said the federal government should appoint a non-partisan head of deregulation to identify and recommend ways to reduce "unproductive red tape." He said, "Canada must adapt to the changing circumstances in its relationship with the U.S." The government should launch initiatives to reduce regulatory burdens for businesses to boost economic growth. These could include lowering capital gains taxes, eliminating interprovincial trade barriers, adopting a "Buy Canada Act" to support domestic businesses and increasing defence spending on Canadian procurement.