Message To Premiers & Mayors

THERE IS ONLY ONE TAXPAYER! And let's not forget who it was who reduced tranfer payments to the provinces, THE LIBERALS, and it might be appropriate for both the premiers and the mayors to learn to live within their means.

February 7, 2007
McGuinty: Premiers can't reach agreement on equalization

TORONTO (CP) - Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty admits the provincial premiers will not reach an agreement today on changing the revenue-sharing equalization program.

The premiers have scheduled a conference call to talk about internal barriers to trade, energy, the so-called fiscal imbalance and equalization.

Ontario doesn't want any increase in equalization payments to poorer provinces until it gets the same level of federal funding for health, education and infrastructure as other provinces.

McGuinty says each of the provinces has been engaging in its own separate talks with the Conservative government to get a deal that benefits them.

He says it would be unreasonable to expect the premiers to come to a consensus today on the best way to approach equalization and the fiscal imbalance.

McGuinty says he'll be reminding his colleagues that Ontario doesn't want a special deal, just the same deal that the other provinces have with Ottawa.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has promised to fix the fiscal imbalance and is expected to take some steps in that direction in the federal budget even without a united front from the provinces as to what they want.

The Golden Goose is developing constipation......