Ontario, Quebec premiers challenge feds

QUEBEC CITY, June 3 (UPI) -- The premiers of Ontario and Quebec forged an alliance to challenge the federal government on the environment and European free trade.

Liberal Dalton McGuinty of Ontario met with Jean Charest in Quebec City Monday and agreed on several demands to present to the federal Conservative government, the Toronto Star reported.

The leaders reached consensus on demanding the implementation of a "cap-and-trade" system to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, in which companies that produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions than their caps permit could sell their unused quota on the open market as credits to big polluters.

The premiers also called for expediting talks on a free trade agreement with the European Union and expanding other trade deals, the report said.

At a joint news conference, McGuinty said it was time to flex an alliance between the two provinces that dated back to confederation.

"It's called Central Canada and it's time for us to assert ourselves once again," he said.