P.E.I. Premier sees economy, health care as priorities

The "overriding issue" at the Council of the Federation premier's meeting underway in Whitehorse, Yukon, is the economy, according to P.E.I. Premier Wade MacLauchlan.

But he added that a specific area of concern is health care funding.

Renewed health care funding by 2017

MacLauchlan said Wednesday there is "largely a consensus" among Canada's provincial and territorial premiers that a renewed health care funding agreement with the federal government "should come" by 2017.

"[An agreement] that would pay more, specific attention to demographics [and] to the province and to the areas that have aging populations and the costs that come with that," he said .

"And, we would contend that there should be funding that would be more sensitive to smaller jurisdictions and to the provinces and territories that have rural health populations and the issues that arise around rural health."

Internal trade, climate change

MacLauchlan said other issues being discussed include internal trade, economic and social development with First Nations and a framework for climate change.

"This is an opportunity to firm up the provincial position and to work together on some of the important details," he said.

The three days of meetings end on Friday.

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