Provinces call on Ottawa to stop encroaching on their jurisdiction
The Council of the Federation has serious reservations about this week's Freeland budget.
In a letter sent to Trudeau on Friday, Canada's 13 premiers said Ottawa should refrain from encroaching on their areas of jurisdiction, particularly in the areas of health, education and housing.
On these issues, each government should have the right to receive ongoing financial compensation representing its fair share, they write, stressing that this should always be unconditional.
The council – whose rotating presidency is currently held by Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston – deplores, among other things, that the Freeland budget was tabled after those of the provinces and suggests that the priorities
of the provinces have not been taken into account. Or so little.
They are also concerned that the costs of new federal programs, created without a long-term funding commitment, will ultimately be borne entirely by the provinces and territories, which they believe will result in [increasing] the financial pressure on their taxpayers.
Among other things, the premiers are talking about the various budget measures proposed by Ottawa related to housing, because this is their responsibility, even though Justin Trudeau has made a number of announcements in this area in recent weeks.
Rather than introducing new programs, Ottawa should take into account the impacts of population growth on housing demand, including by addressing the large number of asylum seekers in some provinces and territories, the council said.
Quebec, in particular, has been engaged for months in a tug-of-war with the federal government in an effort to convince it to stem the flow of migrants into the province and to obtain financial compensation for the services offered to them.
François Legault has given Justin Trudeau until June 30 to respond positively to his demands. If not, his government could hold a sectoral referendum on the issue, he warned.
The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, and his Quebec counterpart, François Legault, met face-to-face on March 15 in Montreal.
Asked to respond a few hours later at a news conference in Victoria, B.C., Trudeau said he was confident he was doing the right thing even though conservative provinces [...] resisted and pushed back against federal aid.
"When I hear the provinces get upset because we're signing agreements with big cities and putting money in their coffers so they can increase density, build housing faster and invest in affordability, I know that's what needs to happen," he said.
Mr. Trudeau also reiterated that he prefers to work collaboratively with the provinces, but that he will not hesitate to bypass them if necessary.
I always do so in accordance with the Constitution, but my first responsibility is to ensure that all Canadians have a bright future," he said.
In a letter sent to Trudeau on Friday, Canada's 13 premiers said Ottawa should refrain from encroaching on their areas of jurisdiction, particularly in the areas of health, education and housing.
On these issues, each government should have the right to receive ongoing financial compensation representing its fair share, they write, stressing that this should always be unconditional.
The council – whose rotating presidency is currently held by Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston – deplores, among other things, that the Freeland budget was tabled after those of the provinces and suggests that the priorities
of the provinces have not been taken into account. Or so little.
They are also concerned that the costs of new federal programs, created without a long-term funding commitment, will ultimately be borne entirely by the provinces and territories, which they believe will result in [increasing] the financial pressure on their taxpayers.
Among other things, the premiers are talking about the various budget measures proposed by Ottawa related to housing, because this is their responsibility, even though Justin Trudeau has made a number of announcements in this area in recent weeks.
Rather than introducing new programs, Ottawa should take into account the impacts of population growth on housing demand, including by addressing the large number of asylum seekers in some provinces and territories, the council said.
Quebec, in particular, has been engaged for months in a tug-of-war with the federal government in an effort to convince it to stem the flow of migrants into the province and to obtain financial compensation for the services offered to them.
François Legault has given Justin Trudeau until June 30 to respond positively to his demands. If not, his government could hold a sectoral referendum on the issue, he warned.
The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, and his Quebec counterpart, François Legault, met face-to-face on March 15 in Montreal.
Asked to respond a few hours later at a news conference in Victoria, B.C., Trudeau said he was confident he was doing the right thing even though conservative provinces [...] resisted and pushed back against federal aid.
"When I hear the provinces get upset because we're signing agreements with big cities and putting money in their coffers so they can increase density, build housing faster and invest in affordability, I know that's what needs to happen," he said.
Mr. Trudeau also reiterated that he prefers to work collaboratively with the provinces, but that he will not hesitate to bypass them if necessary.
I always do so in accordance with the Constitution, but my first responsibility is to ensure that all Canadians have a bright future," he said.