TORONTO – Canada’s First Ministers have concluded a meeting in Saint Andrews New Brunswick.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford, following the meeting, issued this statement:
“I would like to thank the fine people of New Brunswick for hosting this year’s conference. It was great to sit face-to-face with premiers from across the country and discuss issues of mutual importance. While our provinces are diverse, and some of our partisan stripes different, we were able to find common ground on a number of critical issues. I was proud to represent the interests of Ontario at this productive forum.
It was vitally important to discuss the issue of illegal border crossers with premiers from Quebec, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan — who are the most impacted by this issue. We agree that the federal government should compensate affected provinces for all of the costs associated with their decision to open Canadian borders. We also were able to secure broader consensus from all of Canada’s premiers on the need for the federal government to compensate affected provinces.
I was also proud to stand with Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, and join forces to fight the federal government’s authority to impose a carbon tax on hard-working people and their families. Ontario taxpayers should not be subjected to a punishing carbon tax that makes our province uncompetitive and unaffordable.
Canada’s premiers agreed to stand shoulder-to-shoulder and protect jobs during the NAFTA negotiations and to reduce barriers on interprovincial trade.
I look forward to continuing to work closely with my provincial counterparts, and to always putting Ontario families first.”
