P.E.I. Premier Robert Ghiz reacts to PM's absence from meeting

P.E.I. Premier Robert Ghiz reacted Friday to Prime Minister Stephen Harper's absence from the premiers' meeting in Ottawa this week.

Ghiz hosted the Council of the Federation meeting, his final formal gathering with the other premiers before he steps down from provincial politics.

Harper hasn't attended a meeting of the premiers for a number of years.

Addressing the media, Ghiz quipped that it was his fault Harper wasn't in attendance.

"If I had of planned it a bit better, maybe I would have planned this meeting around the World Junior Hockey Championships. He might have been here."

It was a jab at Harper for meeting with Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne on the sidelines of a hockey tournament earlier this month, the first time the two had met in a year.

"I think our country does function better if we have a prime minister who wants to sit down and work with the premiers. It's unfortunate he doesn't do it," said Ghiz.

At the meeting, discussions revolved around energy, skills training, barriers to internal trade and the need to get more infrastructure money from the federal government.              

Ghiz said the main focus Friday was the economy and the need to diversify trade around the world.              

In addition, he said premiers talked about areas where the federal government needs to be more engaged with the provinces.