NOTE:
This
article also appeared in the National Post, Saskatoon Star Phoenix, Kingston Whig-Standard and the Ottawa Citizen.
PUBLICATION:
The
Leader-Post (Regina)
DATE:
2004.09.30
EDITION:
Final
SECTION:
News
PAGE:
A1 / Front
BYLINE:
Robert Fife
SOURCE:
CanWest News Service
DATELINE:
OTTAWA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Martin
cancels first ministers' meeting here
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OTTAWA
-- Prime Minister Paul Martin has shelved plans to hold next month's first
ministers' conference in Regina, sparking opposition charges that the Liberal
government isn't serious about addressing western alienation.
Saskatchewan
Premier Lorne Calvert had offered to host the Oct. 26 meeting that will tackle
Martin's promise to improve equalization payments to the provinces and
territories.
Regina
is also the home town of federal Finance Minister Ralph Goodale, who is expected
to play a key role at the conference as the premiers seek billions of
equalization dollars.
According
to officials in several premiers' offices, arrangements were being made to
travel to Regina but Martin pulled the plug, saying it would be "difficult
for him to be away from Parliament during that time."
Marc
Roy, the prime minister's spokesman, confirmed that Martin wrote the premiers
Wednesday to inform them the conference will be held in Ottawa, the usual locale
for a get-together of the 13 premiers and territorial leaders.
"Basically,
the House is sitting and it just makes more sense to hold it here in
Ottawa," Roy said.
But
opposition MPs accused Martin of giving the "back hand" to the West
and using Parliament as an excuse to avoid Saskatchewan, which is reeling from
the mad cow crisis and a late August frost that damaged crops.
They
noted the prime minister is taking two major global trips next month to Russia,
Hungary, France, Chile, Brazil and Africa while the the House will be sitting.
"He
doesn't seem too concerned about missing time in the House to gallivant all over
the globe, everywhere except good old Regina and the West," fumed Winnipeg
MP Pat Martin. "He can't use Parliament sitting as an excuse because he
doesn't prioritize for all the other international travel."
Saskatchewan
Conservative MP Gary Breitkreuz charged Martin makes lots of promises about
ending western alienation but pays little heed to the problems of the region.
"It tears at my heart to see the quandary that farmers are in right
now and agriculture is the backbone of the economy here so it is unfortunate
that Martin is not willing to come and take a look at what is going on the
province of Saskatchewan," he said. "I see no point in flitting around
the globe trying to solve problems everywhere else when he has huge ones at home
that he doesn't pay attention to."
Anna
Willey, the chief spokesperson for Calvert, said the premier was not
disappointed that Martin cancelled the Regina first ministers' meeting, but
added the "offer always stands."
Martin
has talked about the importance of addressing western alienation by holding
events outside of Ottawa. In early September, he held a cabinet meeting in
Kelowna, B.C.
The first ministers will be haggling over Ottawa's promise of $33 billion in additional equalization payments -- the method the federal government uses to transfer money from rich provinces to poorer provinces.