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Kathleen Wynne says tone of meeting with Harper ‘very positive’

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Kathleen Wynne says tone of meeting with Harper ‘very positive’
Ontario premier ‘optimistic’ about work with federal government on Ring of Fire, infrastructure issues

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne says she did not get any firm commitments from Prime Minister Stephen Harper during their meeting Monday night, but they did discuss their joint efforts on a range of shared concerns and for her “that’s a tangible result.”

Wynne said she and Harper agreed to follow up on their discussions and meet again “in a few months.”

Wynne opened a news conference with reporters at Queen’s Park on Tuesday by emphasizing how she places priority on her relationships with other levels of government, meeting several different premiers and mayors in recent weeks because “we can accomplish more when we work together.”

“The personal relationship, knowing each other is important,” she told reporters, explaining the importance of meeting with Harper in person.

“We may not agree on anything … the point is that we’re able to agree or disagree and move forward,” she said.

Wynne said she was encouraged by their discussion on Ontario’s Ring of Fire resource development project.

She said the two levels of government have “different expertise” when it comes to First Nations issues that often is not co-ordinated, and governments “need to make progress there.”
New discussion on climate change

The premier said the federal and provincial governments intended to build on their past collaboration in the auto sector.

Wynne also said she was pleased that Harper, in his year-end media interviews, said there was more to be done on climate change.

“We had never had that conversation previously,” she said.

Things weren’t all rosy and cozy, however.

The federal Conservatives remain unsupportive of Ontario’s new provincial pension plan, the premier said.

Wynne said “it’s no secret” that she would like to have a new MPP in place in the riding of Sudbury as soon as possible, but declined to say exactly when a byelection may be called in the vacant provincial seat.

Glenn Thibeault, a federal NDP MP, surprised many last month when he announced his candidacy as an Ontario Liberal in the riding where he was previously elected federally.
Lobbied hard for meeting

Harper was in Toronto on Monday night to attend the gold-medal game for the IIHF World Junior Championship. The two leaders met for just under an hour before the hockey game.

Wynne told reporters she watched Canada win at home, over Russia, after an “awesome, if intense” third period.

On Monday night, a release from Harper’s spokesman said the two leaders discussed jobs and the economy, and the importance of ongoing investments in infrastructure.

They also discussed the role of resource development for the Ontario and Canadian economies, and agreed that they would remain in touch on these and other issues.

Wynne said in a statement Monday that they also:

Discussed the quality of First Nations’ drinking water.
Spoke about a commitment to removing provincial trade barriers.
Agreed to continue working to secure strategic anchor investments, and research and development projects in the auto sector in Ontario.

The Conservative prime minister had last met with the Liberal premier on Dec. 5, 2013, and Wynne had embarked on a public campaign urging Harper to sit down with her.

When Harper was in the Toronto area last month, he did not meet with Wynne, but fit in a private meeting with newly elected Toronto Mayor John Tory.

 

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/kathleen-wynne-says-tone-of-meeting-with-harper-very-positive-1.2890949

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