CALGARY - Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Alberta's new premier are both describing their first meeting since Jim Prentice was sworn in last month as productive.
A spokeswoman for Prentice, a former member of Harper's cabinet, says Friday's discussions were constructive, and included a range of issues.
Emily Woods says the two discussed Alberta's economy, energy and the environment, the need to address the issue of skilled labour, and strengthening relationships with Aboriginal peoples.
On Twitter, Harper said the meeting with Prentice was productive and he was looking forward to working with him to "build a stronger Canada."
Prentice has said time is becoming a critical factor in solving the temporary foreign worker shortage, which he has says has hit Alberta's roaring economy hard.
In June, Harper's government brought in rules to limit the number of foreign workers that large and medium-sized companies can hire, to ensure Canadians are first in line for jobs.
Alberta and its oilsands engine have led the nation in growth during the past 20 years. Despite 100,000 newcomers a year, Alberta has grown heavily reliant on temporary foreign workers.
As of December 2012, there were more than 68,000 temporary foreign workers in Alberta — 20 per cent of the Canadian total.
However federal Employment Minister Jason Kenney reaffirmed last week that there will not be any changes to the June rules, saying that in Alberta the program has been "overused."
