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FOR RELEASE     #06-132
June 7, 2006

Council Of The Federation To Address Fiscal Imbalance Report

WHITEHORSE - Premier Dennis Fentie is looking forward to meeting with his provincial and territorial counterparts tomorrow to discuss the federal report on fiscal imbalance.

Premier Ralph Klein will host the meeting of the Council of the Federation (CoF) at Government House in Edmonton, Alberta, where the Expert Panel on Equalization and Territorial Formula Financing will present its findings. Yukon is particularly interested in the report entitled Improving Territorial Fiscal Financing and Strengthening Canada's Territories.

"We welcome the report's conclusions, which are similar to those of the Council of the Federation's report in that they recognize the North and its special circumstances," Fentie said. "Northerners must have access to standards in health, education and economic opportunity comparable to the rest of Canada.

"We are pleased that the expert panel has recognized that the territories must not only have sufficient revenues to provide citizens with reasonably comparable levels of public services, but that fiscal arrangements must provide the tools and incentives to expand our economy," Fentie added.

This meeting will also serve as an opportunity for premiers to review and approve the agenda for the July 25 CoF meeting in St. John's, Newfoundland. Yukon will co-lead the CoF agenda item 'Promoting Canada Through Sport,' which it also presented at the Western Premiers' Conference in Gimli, Manitoba last week.

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Link to Federal Fiscal Imbalance Report:  http://www.eqtff-pfft.ca/english/epreports.asp

Contact:
Albert Petersen
Cabinet Communications Advisor
(867) 633-7961
albert.petersen@gov.yk.ca