Harper promises another meeting with premiers

The prime minister has been reluctant to hold a full-scale meeting with the premiers, opting instead for two informal, working dinners during his first two years in office.

The sudden flurry of federal-provincial activity appears to underscore the seriousness of the current crisis.

In a letter to premiers and territorial leaders, Harper says Monday's three-hour discussion in Ottawa will be aimed at gathering their input before he heads to Washington to meet with world leaders.

Harper will be attending an emergency G20 summit Nov. 14-15 aimed at developing a global action plan for tackling the worldwide credit crunch.

Following the summit, Harper says he'll hold a teleconference to debrief premiers.

"Thereafter, finance ministers will continue their work and meet again in December to prepare the ground for a subsequent, more structured first ministers' meeting, which I propose to convene in early 2009," Harper writes in the letter obtained by The Canadian Press.

Monday's initial meeting will be a relatively rushed affair over a working lunch in Ottawa.

Harper says in the letter that he'll ask each premier and territorial leader to "take stock" of the actions they've each taken to help strengthen the economy.

As well, he says the meeting will "also provide the opportunity to discuss possible future actions to be taken in response to the global forces that are buffeting the Canadian economy."

"It is incumbent on leaders to help build a level of stability and confidence in the marketplace that reflects the true underlying strength of the Canadian economy," he goes on.

"I am confident that our exchange of ideas and an ongoing dialogue will serve to reinforce Canada's strong position in this time of global economic volatility."

Harper told reporters Thursday that Canada will be an "important player" at the G20 summit, having entered the crisis in better fiscal position and with a stronger banking sector than most countries.

He said he plans to urge world leaders to make "selective improvements" to financial regulation, not the complete overhaul advocated by Europe.

Harper sought advice Thursday from some top economists in Toronto about the position Canada should take at the G20 summit and the measures the federal government needs to take to help Canada weather the storm.

He said the economists gave him a clear message that his government shouldn't be afraid to run a deficit if necessary to ride out the crisis.