Canada’s 13 premiers sat shoulder-to-shoulder Wednesday to both call on the federal government for help and to tell it to step away from their jurisdiction.

During the three days the premiers met for the annual Council of the Federation conference in Halifax, they described tensions in their relationship with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government. But the provincial and territorial leaders didn’t leave the sunny port city without first issuing a list of requests.

The premiers attacked what they see as Ottawa’s habit of intervening in areas of provincial responsibility ranging from dental care to the cod fishery.

As the meetings wrapped up Wednesday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford took aim at the federal government’s billion-dollar national school food program, which promises to deliver meals to an additional 400,000 children per year.

  • girlfreddyOP
    12·
    2 months ago

    When asked if the premiers are asking for too much from the federal government on too many items, Houston said they’re asking the Liberals to refocus.

    “We need to be focused on how and where that money is invested. We have a lot of ideas on that and we hope that they listen to us,” he said.

    So the spoiled whiny group of premiers want the feds to listen to them, but quid pro quo is off the table?

    Riiight.