EXCERPTS

Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams hopes Canada's premiers can make some progress toward resolving a dispute over how the federal and provincial governments share tax revenue, he said Thursday as the premiers started a two-day meeting.

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Outside the meeting, several dozen protesters urged the premiers to push Mr. Harper to maintain $5-billion in transfer payments that the previous Liberal government promised to the provinces over five years to create new day-care spaces.

"There's no more important social policy than the future of our young and good quality, not-for-profit child care for every child in Canada," said Paul Moist, president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees.

"Mr. Harper, Canadians gathered here today say to you: 'You had no mandate to cancel the child-care agreements.'"

Mr. Harper has taken the first legal steps to back out of those deals. In their place, the federal government has started sending families monthly $100 cheques for each child under six years old.

- reprinted from the Globe and Mail