HALIFAX,
NS, July 16, 2024 /CNW/ - Canada's Premiers are focused on key issues
facing Canadians today and into the future. Premiers discussed ways
to continue building strong, resilient communities and a prosperous
Canada.
Key priorities discussed by Premiers included:
- Housing, affordability, and skills training
- Strategic infrastructure
- The future of energy
- Emergency preparedness and response
Premiers continue to share Canadians' concerns about
affordability and the high cost of living. Every government must
play its part in relieving the affordability crises while advancing
economic prosperity.
Housing, Affordability, and Skills Training
While the federal government is making efforts to improve the
availability and affordability of housing, Canada's housing crisis requires flexibility
so funding programs respond to local and regional needs including
all housing types. Consideration must be given to the increasing
and changing pressures on the demand for housing, including the
impact of population growth, and the significant number of asylum
seekers in some jurisdictions.
Provinces and territories have a long and proud history of
welcoming newcomers to Canada.
However, given the pressures on housing and the availability of
programs and supports, Premiers are calling on the federal
government to expedite assessment of genuine asylum seekers
entering Canada and to work with
provincial and territorial governments to determine the appropriate
number of accepted asylum seekers.
Premiers support a fair distribution of asylum seekers across
Canada corresponding to provincial
and territorial capacity to provide housing and other supports and
services. The federal government must provide appropriate
funding for these costs.
Premiers met with National Indigenous Organization leaders and
Nova Scotia Mi'kmaw Chiefs ahead of their annual summer meeting.
Premiers share their concerns that the federal government is not
providing adequate funding to meet the housing needs of Indigenous
communities. Adequate housing is key to supporting the well-being
of Indigenous peoples and reconciliation. The federal government
must accelerate investments to address the acute housing needs of
Indigenous communities, both on and off-reserve, and meaningfully
engage with provinces and territories and Indigenous governments
and organizations to ensure coordinated action on Indigenous
housing.
Housing development also presents an economic opportunity for
some Indigenous communities, and coordinated investments are needed
to leverage this opportunity for economic reconciliation.
Premiers also discussed the negative impact of the federal
government's $625 million funding cut
to Labour Market Transfer Agreements (LMTA), which are largely
funded through workers and employers Employment Insurance
contributions. Premiers decry these federal cuts at a time when the
country is facing pressing labour shortages, including in key
sectors such as home construction, childcare and health care.
Provincial and territorial programs supported by LMTA funding
enable Canadians to improve their skills and earnings, help
employers find skilled workers, and are essential to building a
strong workforce and in addressing labour shortages. Premiers call
on the federal government to immediately restore this funding.
Premiers urge the Prime Minister to work with provinces and
territories to address the high costs of groceries and food, to
work with farmers, food producers, manufacturers and retailers to
bring these costs down. Provinces and territories will examine
interprovincial trade barriers that could be removed to help reduce
costs.
The federal government must also collaborate with provinces and
territories to ensure appropriate implementation of federal funding
for school food programs.
Strategic Infrastructure
Canada's future prosperity
requires predictability in federal infrastructure funding that
complements the planning and investments already being made by
provinces and territories. Premiers are extremely dismayed that the
2024 federal budget did not include a successor to the Investing in
Canada Infrastructure Program
(ICIP) or a new National Trade Corridors Fund, which have both
provided key investments in connecting communities, facilitating
trade, and driving economic growth. Premiers call on the federal
government to quickly engage provinces and territories on the new
Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund (CHIF) and ensure a
flexible approach that enables support for local and diverse
priorities. The CHIF provides $6
billion in federal funding over 10 years with even more
restrictive conditions than ICIP which was valued at $33 billion over 10 years. Premiers call on the
federal government to restore funding levels.
Premiers call on the federal government to be a partner and
recognize the needs, unique situations, and priorities of provinces
and territories. The federal government must maximize flexibility
and predictability by delivering infrastructure funding on a base
plus per capita basis to support provincial and territorial
priorities.
Premiers discussed the need for the federal government to
fulfill its NATO obligation of defense spending of 2% of GDP
recognizing that this has a strong link to strategic infrastructure
and the importance of meeting this commitment for the U.S. economic
and security partnership.
Future of Energy
Canada's energy diversity is
our strength. The abundance of resources and range of approaches
across Canada has led to a proud
history of energy innovation and technological advancement.
Premiers discussed the future of energy in Canada and shared their long-term priorities
for the generation and use of energy, such as building sustainable
renewable energy and critical mineral supply chains, growing energy
exports, decarbonizing their economies, and cultivating new and
emerging sectors.
Premiers will continue to explore ways to work together to trade
energy, taking advantage of our rich domestic energy mix, and
highlighted the importance of innovation and technologies in
addressing energy efficiency challenges and opportunities. Gaps in
infrastructure to support critical mineral exploration and
extraction continue to present challenges, especially in the North.
Premiers remain committed to ensuring that residents, businesses,
and industry continue to have access to reliable and affordable
energy, and critical energy infrastructure.
With global factors continuing to shape the world's energy
landscape, provinces and territories are seizing opportunities to
provide energy security to North
America and to supply the world with dependable and
ethically produced energy and critical minerals. Natural resources,
such as critical minerals, are under provincial and territorial
jurisdiction but the federal government can and needs to do more to
reduce duplication and streamline project approvals and work with
provinces and territories to ensure an attractive investment
climate to help enable these products to reach global markets.
Premiers discussed the impacts of the federal Clean Electricity
Regulations, the federal Clean Fuel Regulations, and the proposed
oil and gas emissions cap. The federal government must ensure its
climate policies recognize early and ongoing action by provinces
and territories and acknowledge the unique needs and situations of
provinces and territories, while not infringing on their
jurisdiction. With increasing energy prices globally, Premiers
remain concerned that Canadians are being treated inconsistently by
federal actions related to the federal carbon tax. Premiers are
unanimous in their expectation that federal policies and programs
should be delivered in a fair, flexible, and equitable way to
recognize regional differences.
Emergency Preparedness and Response
Communities throughout Canada
have faced record-setting wildfires, droughts, and floods in recent
years, and this trend is expected to continue. Premiers are
dedicated to further collaboration to strengthen emergency
management systems to promote the resiliency of communities now and
in the future.
Premiers discussed the effectiveness of provincial/territorial
disaster resource-sharing agreements that provide support to local
communities in the case of wildfires and floods. Premiers expressed
ongoing appreciation for emergency responders and praised their
dedication to keeping Canadians and communities safe. They also
expressed appreciation for the significant contributions made by
the Canadian Armed Forces during 2023 and urged the federal
government to ensure that the Canadian Armed Forces, a valued
asset, are sufficiently resourced to continue supporting Canadians
in times of need, including disaster response.
Premiers call for greater transparency and collaboration from
the federal government in its development of a national flood
insurance program. The federal government must invest in more
flexible and adequate disaster mitigation funding, programs,
policies and support good forestry management practices to reduce
disaster risk for long-term resilience in Canada. As these events become more frequent
and severe, provinces and territories need greater federal
financial support for emergency preparedness, response, mitigation,
resiliency, adaptation and recovery.
Premiers expressed concern over recent federal refusal of
funding requests for critical community projects under the Disaster
Mitigation and Adaptation Fund (DMAF). Provinces and
territories want to reduce hazard risks to communities, and the
federal government is an essential partner in achieving climate
resilient infrastructure solutions. The federal government must
invest more in disaster mitigation funding, programs, and policies
to support disaster risk reduction for long-term resilience in
Canada.
The federal government must maintain current cost sharing
arrangements including the 90 percent federal/10 percent
provincial/territorial formula for the largest scale disasters and
demonstrate greater transparency and collaboration in updating
Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements. Provinces and
territories need timely, flexible, adequate, and culturally
appropriate support to respond to emergency events. The federal
government must ensure prompt payment of financial assistance and
not shift additional risks and costs onto provinces and
territories.
SOURCE Canada's Premiers