Premiers say Ottawa should have consulted with them more before tabling 2024 budget

Canada's premiers are accusing the federal government of doing a poor job of consulting with them before tabling the 2024 budget.

They voiced their concerns in a letter released Friday by the Council of the Federation, made up of all 13 provincial and territorial premiers.

The letter, written on behalf of the premiers by council chair and Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston, said that in order for the federal government to promote affordability and productivity, Ottawa and the provinces should «return» to a cooperative approach.

The budget, tabled Tuesday by Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, proposes $52.9 billion in new spending over five years, including $8.5 billion in new spending for housing.

Ottawa also will post a $40 billion deficit this fiscal year and spend more on servicing its debt — $54.1 billion — than it will spend on health care this year.

The letter said the 2024 budget «was announced after all [provinces and territories] released their respective budgets and contained several initiatives that directly impact our own plans and budgets.»

«There was limited and inconsistent outreach from the federal government in advance to ensure priorities and objectives of [provinces and territories] were considered,» the letter said.

The letter says the premiers fear that the cost of new federal programs will «eventually be downloaded on provinces and territories, increasing the financial burdens borne by the taxpayers.»

An ongoing battle over jurisdiction

For months, various provinces have accused the federal government of overreaching into provincial affairs or exacerbating problems, particularly those related to housing and immigration.

Alberta has sharply criticized the Liberal government for cutting deals with the province's