No First Minister's Meetings

[jdobbin]

http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national...448b56d&k=62308

Harper hasn't met with the first ministers in over a year.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper's refusal to meet with Canada's premiers has forced them to resort to megaphone diplomacy, Saskatchewan's government relations minister said Tuesday.

Harper has been prime minister for more than a year. Despite his vow to practice "open federalism," Harry Van Mulligen noted that he has yet to hold a first ministers' meeting with all premiers and territorial leaders.

Harper had intended to meet with all premiers last fall to discuss resolution of the so-called fiscal imbalance. But those plans were abandoned after the provinces failed to achieve consensus on the issue.

He has met with premiers individually. Some of them have been frequent interlocutors of the prime minister. Quebec's Jean Charest has met most often with Harper.

He has only been to Manitoba twice since becoming prime minister. He already has three premiers preparing to support the opposition to him in the election. I wonder if more will be added to the list.