Canada’s premiers have written the Prime Minister, expressing the concern that Ottawa “refrain from overreaching into provincial and territorial jurisdiction” in matters of health, education and housing.

The letter, written by Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston on behalf of the Council of the Federation, says the federal budget provided an opportunity for the government to promote affordability, increase productivity and invest in areas that are “critical to Canada’s economic growth,” but to do so, says the council, Ottawa must return to a co-operative approach, where governments work together to address the unique needs and priorities of Canadians.

The council says the federal budget came down after all provinces and territories released their respective budgets, with “limited and inconsistent outreach” in advance to ensure that their priorities and objectives were considered.

The letter says that for more than a year, the country’s premiers have been seeking details on Ottawa’s intentions around infrastructure programming, but the latest budget did not include funding to support development and maintenance of infrastructure, which the council says is “central to economic growth and prosperity.” The council says it had expected the federal government to show up as a full partner, but that did not happen.