Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty says Prime Minister Stephen Harper is "open" to contributing to the province's $1.1 billion new jobs fund to help its struggling manufacturing sector, but the premier didn't get a firm commitment.
During the leaders' private 45-minute meeting at a Toronto hotel, McGuinty said Harper was interested in helping Ontario's manufacturers and auto companies in particular. But the premier said the federal government would use a different method.
"They have a slightly different approach than we have. It's fair to say they like to operate a more high-level, across-the-board tax cut kind of approach," McGuinty told reporters on Thursday morning.
McGuinty said the Ontario government prefers to work with each automaker individually to attract new plants and investment.
The two leaders did agree to "drive hard" on creating a new Windsor border crossing, but instead of working together, each level of government will push the project on its own, McGuinty said.
The premier also raised the issue of the rising dollar and how it is hurting the province's manufacturing industry. On Wednesday, when the loonie soared past $US1.10, he called on the federal government to lower interest rates.
McGuinty said the current federal interest rate policy caters to the "super-heated" economies of western, oil-rich provinces rather than an economy like Ontario's, which has seen steady growth.
Harper "listened intently" to the premier's concerns, but didn't make any offers to change federal policy, McGuinty said.
McGuinty also said the prime minister didn't seem particularly interested in using some of the projected $11.6-billion federal surplus to help cash-strapped municipalities, such as Toronto, with their infrastructure renewal projects.
"I raised the issue directly with Mr. Harper as to whether his government had any interest whatsoever in lending direct support to our municipal partners," McGuinty said.
"I think it would be fair to say he is not particularly receptive to that approach."
The premier called cities and towns "centres of innovation and wealth creation," and said both senior levels of government need to do more to support to them.
He praised Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion for publicly accusing the federal government of neglecting big cities and blaming Ottawa for a five per cent tax hike to pay for infrastructure repairs.
Ontario Progressive Conservative Party Leader John Tory said McGuinty should stop pointing the finger at Ottawa.
"There still seems to be no willingness on his part to step up to the plate, use his huge budgetary surplus and deal with the serious economic issues facing this province," Tory said.
"Finger-pointing and buck-passing alone won't save too many jobs."
With a report from CTV's Paul Bliss and files from The Canadian Press
