Canadian premiers talk economy with PM

OTTAWA, Nov. 10 (UPI) -- Canada's provincial and territorial premiers were warned ahead of a Monday summit in Ottawa that the prime minister has no easy solutions to economic turmoil.

Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper told reporters during the weekend he called the meeting of regional leaders the day after the Oct. 14 election to exchange ideas on how the country can weather the international financial upheaval, the Toronto Star reported.

"Obviously we are in a period of global economic instability. There are no easy solutions," Harper said.

Harper said he wanted the talks before he travels to Washington next weekend for a meeting of the G20 leaders.

Nine provincial and three territorial premiers are to attend Monday's Canadian meeting. Alberta's premier is on a trade mission in Europe.

For the first time, the once-prosperous province of Ontario has fallen into the "have-not" status among provinces and is running a $500 million deficit, the report said. The federal government has allocated $347 million to Ontario, which has lost 280,000 jobs in the forestry and auto sectors in the past five years, the Globe and Mail reported.