Canada害羞草研究所檚 premiers on Tuesday lamented what they said was the federal government害羞草研究所檚 lack of teamwork on important files from housing to school lunch programs, with British Columbia害羞草研究所檚 premier saying working with Ottawa can feel like 害羞草研究所渂eating our head against a wall.害羞草研究所�

Premiers of the ten provinces and three territories are in Halifax for three days this week for the summer meeting of the Council of the Federation, hosted by Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston.

On Tuesday, B.C. Premier David Eby told reporters that for years at these federation get-togethers, he and his counterparts have asked for a meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

害羞草研究所淭hat call continues to go unanswered and I cannot understand why, because we have a lot of work to do together,害羞草研究所� Eby said.

Houston echoed similar sentiments in a letter sent to Trudeau ahead of the conference, asking the prime minister to 害羞草研究所渨ork with us in a true partnership害羞草研究所� in order to revive the 害羞草研究所渃ollaborative spirit of the federation.害羞草研究所�

The premier told reporters Tuesday that provinces and territories are closely attuned to their residents害羞草研究所� needs, and they want to work more closely with Ottawa in order to tackle major issues.

害羞草研究所淎s provinces and territories, we have some things that are in our wheelhouse, that are our jurisdiction. We know a lot about them, we know what we need. And we have ideas about how to approach them,害羞草研究所� he said.

害羞草研究所淪o what we害羞草研究所檝e asked for from Ottawa is to partner with us on those things and work with us, and not try to go around us 害羞草研究所� as may be the case sometimes, as we see on some of the housing stuff that害羞草研究所檚 happening now.害羞草研究所�

One federal program that gets heat from provinces is Ottawa害羞草研究所檚 Housing Accelerator Fund, which distributes money for housing directly to cities and municipalities, bypassing provincial governments.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who has been highly critical of the accelerator fund, said Tuesday that a lack of collaboration has resulted in the duplication of other programs like dental care, pharmacare and the school lunch program.

Doubling up on these services means 害羞草研究所測ou害羞草研究所檙e paying for twice as many civil servants to deliver the program, which means you害羞草研究所檙e not getting the dollars down to the people who need them,害羞草研究所� she said.

害羞草研究所淲hat we害羞草研究所檝e advocated is 害羞草研究所� work with us. If you want to get involved in assisting us in cost-sharing, then use our architecture and provide funding so that we can expand the programs.害羞草研究所�

Doug Ford, premier of Ontario, acknowledged that there害羞草研究所檚 a general sense of exasperation among his peers when it comes to working with Ottawa. 害羞草研究所淎ll the premiers together, I think that we害羞草研究所檙e pretty frustrated in that area, but we want to work with the federal government,害羞草研究所� Ford told reporters Tuesday.

Eby said he thinks progress could be made if the prime minister were to meet with premiers and make a plan for working together.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 not about money. It害羞草研究所檚 not about additional funding, it害羞草研究所檚 about, can we co-ordinate nationally on these areas of shared interest?

害羞草研究所淎nd that is where it sometimes feels like we害羞草研究所檙e just beating our head against a wall,害羞草研究所� Eby said.

The Office of the Prime Minister was not immediately available for comment.

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