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Apart from the addition of yet another right to the swelling list of things Canadians are told are theirs by birth, the premiers are worried about more practical matters. The plan’s ambitious budget presumes they will happily kick in billions of dollars to make the program come true. Much of the federal share consists of previously-announced programs, while the “new” money only gets spent if the provinces agree to share at least $12 billion worth of costs.

The difficulties this entails became evident when Ontario and Quebec, with 60 per cent of the national population, conspicuously refrained from pledging their share. Ontario Housing Minister Peter Milczyn thought the plan was a great idea, but wouldn’t promise the required billions. And anyone who thinks Quebec is going to be told by Ottawa how to spend its money hasn’t been paying attention to the past 50 years.

Much of the national housing plan hinges on the provinces spending at least $12 billion

It may be that the prime minister needs an update on provincial budget challenges. Quebec’s Liberals face an election in 2018, and after years of budget restraint have managed to produce a surplus, which Finance Minister Carlos Leitão isn’t about to hand over to Ottawa. Instead, last week he announced a tax cut for low-income families and an increased subsidy for school supplies.

Ontario’s Liberals must go to the polls by June. Premier Kathleen Wynne’s government claims to have balanced the budget after years of heavy borrowing, and is counting heavily on that appearance of fiscal competence to attract votes. To support its claim it was forced to hide $26 billion in new borrowing by running it through Ontario Power Generation to keep it off provincial books, a strategy Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk condemned as “needlessly complex” and introduced solely “to avoid showing a deficit or an increase in net debt.”