Wynne writes open letter to Harper requesting meeting

Toronto, Premier Kathleen Wynne is publicly calling on Stephen Harper to meet face-to-face with her for the first time in more than a year.

Wynne has penned an open letter to the prime minister in which she reminds him that they haven’t met since Dec. 5, 2013, a period of time she says is simply “too long.”

The letter comes in the wake of a November exchange in which Harper advised Wynne to have her cabinet ministers reach out to their federal counterparts after she requested a meeting to discuss a number of key issues, including infrastructure, the auto sector, internal trade, federal transfers, employment Insurance, retirement income and violence against aboriginal women and girls.

“As vital as ministerial cooperation is, it is no substitute for leadership and cooperation at the top,” Wynne writes. “For that reason, I am once again asking you to meet with me at your earliest opportunity to discuss these issues, which are of great importance to the people of Ontario and their well-being.”

Harper, who is making an appearance in Mississauga this afternoon, has been in the GTA on a number of occasions in recent months but has not sat down with Wynne.

This despite meeting with Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard and Alberta Premier Jim Prentice in recent months and scheduling a meeting with Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Paul Davis for Friday.

Asked by reporters about his decision not to spend time with the premier of Canada’s largest province during an appearance in Markham last week, Harper said he “anticipates” having another meeting with Wynne “at some point in time.”

Harper, however, went on to suggest that Wynne has bigger problems than arranging a meeting with him.

“Let me just say this: I know — we all know — that the government of Ontario has some pretty significant challenges,” he said. “I would encourage the government of Ontario to focus on those things, not on confrontation. What we’ve done at the federal level, we’re balancing our budget, we’re cutting taxes and we’re delivering more services.”

In her letter, Wynne said the relationship between the premier and prime minister should be one of “collaboration, not confrontation.”

Wynne then went on express a desire for a meeting “early in the New Year” before wishing Harper and his family her “very best wishes for the holiday season.”