Letter from Liberal Party of Canada Leader Justin Trudeau to Canada’s Premiers

September 2, 2015

QUÉBEC – The Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, Justin Trudeau, today sent the following letter to the Hon. Paul Davis, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, and Chair of the Council of the Federation, representing Canada’s 13 provincial and territorial Premiers:

Dear Premier,

Thank you for your letter, dated July 17, 2015, on behalf of the Council of the Federation.

I want to start by expressing my appreciation to you, and the members of the Council, for the important work you do to promote cooperation in solving the most serious issues facing our country.

I have travelled from coast to coast to coast, and I have met thousands of Canadians, where they live and work. I believe a Prime Minister has three main jobs: keeping our country united, keeping Canadians safe, and ensuring everyone has a real and fair chance to succeed.

Though the current Prime Minister has ignored his obligations and refuses to meet with the Premiers, I believe that confronting our collective challenges can only be achieved by sitting down together and engaging in open dialogue. That is why I have committed a Liberal government to holding an annual First Ministers’ meeting, and frequently and actively engaging with each Premier in service to the people of their province or territory. 

In your correspondence, you have highlighted a number of issues that are common priorities for all Canadians. If a federal Liberal government is elected on October 19, in order to address these issues, I agree that we will require a strong partnership with the provinces and territories.

Jobs and the Economy

First and foremost, a Liberal government will strengthen the heart of our economy: the middle class. We understand that when we put more money in the pockets of our middle class, and those working hard to join it, our economy grows and all regions prosper.

A Liberal government will make the smart investments necessary to create more liveable communities, improve Canadians’ commutes, and help us build a better future for our kids and grandkids. A Liberal government will work with municipal, provincial, and territorial leaders to make infrastructure a real priority. Our historic plan to invest in public infrastructure includes: nearly doubling federal infrastructure investment to almost $125 billion – from the current $65 billion – over the next decade; doubling current federal infrastructure investment in each of the next two fiscal years; providing new, dedicated funding to provinces, territories and municipalities for public transit, social and green infrastructure; and providing clearer project criteria and faster approval processes for applications to the New Building Canada Fund, which will now focus on investments in roads, bridges, transportation corridors, ports, and border gateways.

A Liberal government will work to open up international markets to Canadian resources, and export those resources in a responsible way. With the provinces and territories, we will introduce federal measures to support renewable energy projects, and the use of clean technology. We will also work with all orders of government to attract greater foreign direct investment and trade, and develop a trade policy that ensures businesses across the country are able to make the most of these opportunities. 

We will make access to post-secondary education and investments in training, research, and development a real priority. Smart investments in these areas go a long way in ensuring we have a talented workforce that is ready to fill positions, and over the course of this campaign, I will provide more details about these commitments.

Health Care and Fiscal Imbalances

When it comes to our health and well-being, we want and expect our political leaders to make real progress on the issues that intimately affect us and our families – like wait times, the affordability of prescription drugs, the availability of homecare and community-based services, and coping with an aging population. 

Though federal leadership on health care has been missing during the past decade, I strongly believe that the federal government has an important role to play. The absence of a federal-provincial partnership and engagement on the expired federal-provincial Health Accord was a missed opportunity. If my party forms government, we will call a federal-provincial meeting to reach a long-term agreement on health care funding. A Liberal government will reengage in areas where there is direct federal responsibility, including health promotion, support to caregivers, and First Nations’ health, and will meet with the Premiers to talk about how to strengthen health care.

I also agree that the federal government must do more to support affordable early-learning and child care, as well as housing, and I will provide further information about our plan to do so in the coming weeks.

On the issue of helping Canadians retire with dignity, a Liberal government will restore the starting age to 65 for Old Age Security and the Guaranteed Income Supplement, and we will work with all provinces, territories, workers, and employers to enhance the Canada Pension Plan for future generations. 

Indigenous Issues

Canada only succeeds when we all succeed. Indigenous Peoples are the fastest growing segment of our population, and it is critical to our shared future that they have the same opportunities as everyone else.

A Liberal government will ensure a renewed, nation-to-nation relationship between the federal government and Indigenous Peoples; recognize First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities as full partners in the federation; and work with Indigenous Peoples to create fairness and equality of opportunity.

This begins with taking real action to close the persistent and unacceptable gaps in education and economic outcomes for First Nations. That is why I have announced that a Liberal government will make an immediate investment in First Nations education, which includes an additional $515 million per year in core annual funding for First Nations K-12 education, rising to over $750 million per year by the end of our first mandate; $500 million over the next three years for First Nations education infrastructure; and $50 million in additional annual support to the Post-Secondary Student Support Program (PSSSP).

Furthermore, a Liberal government will: develop a Reconciliation Framework; hold annual meetings between the Prime Minister and First Nations Chiefs; ensure a return to the principles and objectives of the Kelowna Accord; and work with the provinces and territories to implement the 94 recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Moreover, we will create a new fiscal relationship, starting with lifting the two percent cap on funding for First Nations programs; call an immediate national inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls; and work with Premiers to address issues relating to Indigenous education, health care, housing, and clean drinking water, among others.   

Climate Change

The simple fact is that, in 2015, pretending that we have to choose between the environment and the economy is as harmful as it is wrong. A Liberal government will create clean jobs, grow the economy, and protect our environment. We will start by working hand-in-hand with the provinces and territories to adapt to the impacts of climate change.

A Liberal government will invite provincial and territorial leaders to attend the UN Paris climate conference, and within 90 days, hold a First Ministers’ meeting to work together on a framework for combatting climate change. Central to this will be the creation of national emissions reduction targets. We will give provincial and territorial governments the flexibility to design their own policies to meet these commitments, including their own carbon pricing policies. Our government will provide targeted federal funding to help achieve these goals, in the same way the federal government supports health care in Canada.

Canadians want to see their leaders work together to forge a smart plan to solve the problems that matter to them – like growing our economy, safeguarding our environment, ensuring the effective delivery of services, and strengthening the middle class.

During the election I will continue speaking about the people who work hard, raise kids, and build our communities; people who believe that the future can be better for our country. I look forward to working in partnership with you to make a positive difference in the lives of all Canadians, in every sector, and in every region of our great country.

Yours sincerely,

Justin P.J. Trudeau

Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada