CALVERT CALLS UPON FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO HONOUR COMMITMENT

Premier Lorne Calvert today expressed his exasperation with Prime Minister Paul Martin's description of relations between the provinces and the Government of Canada as reported in the media.

"I am calling upon the federal government to immediately honour its commitment made by the federal Minister of Finance to provide $300 million in federal funding for students, labour force development, housing and infrastructure and climate change initiatives," Calvert said.

The federal government committed the money following negotiations involving Premier Calvert and federal Finance Minister Ralph Goodale in Ottawa in May 2005.

"I can not believe that six months after this agreement was reached, Saskatchewan has not received one thin dime of the committed funding," he said.

"If the Prime Minister believes this is the way to address a sense of western alienation, he is sadly mistaken," Calvert emphasized. "Saskatchewan is tired of the federal government foot dragging on this file, as well as development of a Saskatchewan Energy Accord."

Calvert called on the federal government to deliver on its commitments to the people of Saskatchewan.

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