Federal finance minister accepts Ontario's invitation to talk about economy
Last Updated: Friday, April 11, 2008 | 7:42 AM ET
The Canadian Press
It appears the duelling federal and Ontario finance ministers are on their way to a peace summit.
Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty says he's written to his Ontario counterpart, Dwight Duncan, and accepted his offer to sit down and talk about the province's ailing economy.
Flaherty said Ontario did well by eliminating the capital tax on manufacturers in their last budget, but it still doesn't have "its own house in order" when it comes to reducing the tax burden on businesses.
Flaherty has been pushing the province to slash corporate income taxes, but Premier Dalton McGuinty has rejected the demand because he says it will force his government to cut social programs.
A spokesman for Duncan says the minister hasn't received Flaherty's letter yet, but is interested in a meeting.
It's the latest sign of a détente between the federal Conservatives and the Ontario Liberals, who have been embroiled in a war of words over what to do about the province's troubled economy.
