Canada's premiers call on federal government to discuss infrastructure strategy

Canada’s premiers wrapped their three days of meetings Wednesday with calls for the federal government to sit down with them for a dedicated first ministers’ meeting to discuss infrastructure strategy and funding.

“True federal partnerships are needed to ensure progress, but (with) respect for provincial and territorial jurisdictions and responsibilities, to recognize all of our unique circumstances and needs,” said Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson, who hosted the meeting.

Stefanson said the premiers want the dedicated sit-down with the federal government to include talks about strategic infrastructure — including community, economic, and competitive infrastructure — as well as economic trade corridors.

Quebec Premier Francois Legault said that infrastructure needs to extend to health-care and housing infrastructure.

The last time the premiers met with the federal government was in February to discuss increasing health-care transfers, when the latter tabled a $196.1-billon, 10-year offer. Quebec is now the only holdout to ink a bilateral deal with the federal government, laying out particular conditions on the funds.

Healthcare remained a focus for the premiers during the days-long meeting, with The Canadian Press reporting Tuesday the leaders of the provinces and territories are hoping to see the federal government streamline international recruiting to help with staffing shortages. They also heard recommendations for ways to tackle gaps in the system from the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions.

The premiers also discussed critical minerals, energy security, and climate change, specifically as they relate to Canada’s need to compete against the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, which provides billions of dollars in clean energy incentives south of the border, Legault noted.

Housing was another major focus of the meeting, especially with the Bank of Canada announcing Wednesday it has raised its key interest rate by 25 basis points — its 10th consecutive hike — to five per cent.

“Of course we have our own unique needs based on whatever jurisdiction that we come from, so (housing) is very important to all of us as well,” Stefanson said.

B.C. Premier David Eby said that infrastructure includes housing and he believes the prime minister will be “receptive” to the conversation considering its provincial and national importance.

“The solution that we really came to at the table is we need to have an integrated national approach to this essential infrastructure that’s going to support pieces like housing,” he said. “You can’t pull one piece out without having a conversation about all this infrastructure.”

Federal co-operation is paramount, Eby said.

“The provinces can only get so far on our own without the federal partner at the table,” he said.

Earlier in the week, many of the premiers took aim at the federal government’s climate policies, including the premiers of the Atlantic provinces, who recently launched a campaign against federal fuel regulations, and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who accused the Trudeau Liberals of “federal interference into (provincial) business.”

“There are energy issues across all jurisdictions, and when we speak as a unified voice, we would like to raise the conversation so that it’s a Canadian approach and not necessarily just a regional approach,” said Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey when asked why the provincial and territorial demands for the federal government coming out of the meeting pertains to infrastructure and not climate policy.

“But there was a robust conversation amongst Atlantic premiers voicing our concerns with respect to the energy issues that we face on clean fuels,” Furey added.