Prime Minister promotes open federalism

Speaking before the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montréal, Prime Minister Stephen Harper set out the Government’s priorities and its conception of open federalism.

“Canadians want their governments to work for them,” said Prime Minister. “They are fed up with the spectacle of turf wars and squabbling over money. They want their leaders to work together to deal with real-life priorities.”

Under Canada’s New Government, open federalism will mean :

taking advantage of the experience and expertise that the provinces and territories can contribute to the national dialogue

respecting areas of provincial jurisdiction

keeping the federal government’s spending power within bounds

full cooperation by the Government of Canada with all other levels of government, while clarifying the roles and responsibilities of each.

The Prime Minister added that he will tackle the fiscal imbalance as part of his open approach to federalism, a vision that combines the advancement of Quebec with the development of Canada.

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Prime Minister Harper outlines his government's priorities and open federalism approach

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