Brian Pallister heads north for 1st premier's conference

Brian Pallister'sbriefing notes are as thick as a phone book as he gets set for hisfirst formal meeting with provincial leaders from across Canada this week.

The Manitoba premier has his own agenda for theconference, whichstarts in Whitehorse, Yukon, on July 20.

At the top of Pallister's list is a new health care accord between the provinces, territories and the federal government. He says it is currently the major issue for all provincial governments.

"The federal government has indicated it wants to back away from the support levels offered by the previous administration and the one before that, and that would be for me a backward step at a time when the population is aging and needs are growing," Pallister said.

Pallistersays health care is the number one priority for Canadians and the feds need to be a full partner in paying for it.He says the Liberal government in Ottawa is currently offering to reduce growth in health caretransfers to half of the current levels.

• Health Minister Jane Philpott 'anxious' to sign new health accord by year's end
• Ottawa favours targeted health-care spending over increased transfer to provinces

Pallister says Manitoba's fiscal situation with big deficits and high taxes has left the province in a difficult position to cope with increased health care costs.

He says Manitobans want long term sustainable health care.

"How do we achieve that without a federal government that wants to partner and take on that obligation? With great difficulty," Pallister said.

An appropriate formula would be for the feds to pickup 25 per centof the cost of health carewith the provinces footing the other 75 per cent, he suggested.

Manitoba, with a large Indigenouspopulation, faces some unique health care issues related to chronic diseases amongmembers of that community and the federal government has a constitutional obligation to health care for Aboriginal people, Pallister said.

He will join some of the premiers in HainesJunction, Yukon, on the first day of the conference to meet with leaders from national Aboriginal organizations.

Trade, CPPalso on Pallister'slist

Pallister will also promote Manitoba's advocacy for changes to the Canada Pension Plan, saying "I'd like to see it better, not just bigger."

Infrastructure improvements to cope with disasters is also on his mind.

"These are important investments where climate change being a reality, greater frequency and intensity of disasters occurring, so it's important also to restore the deductable that thefederal government used to have to pay its fair share towards these costs," Pallister said.

Intra-provincialtrade and water issues are also in Pallister's briefing book for the conference with the other premiers.