Doug Ford and Danielle Smith were among the premiers who attended the First Ministers meeting in Saskatoon, Sask., this week.Nayan Sthankiya/Reuters

Coming out of what he described as “the best meeting we’ve had in 10 years,” Ontario Premier Doug Ford was comparing the Prime Minister to Santa Claus: “He’s coming, and his sled was full of all sorts of stuff. Now he’s taking off back to the North Pole. He’s going to sort it out, and then he’s going to call us.”

I get that the Premier was excited, or perhaps high, but I don’t believe that’s how Santa works. A preliminary visit just to show all the good little children around the world how full his sled is? Then he calls them each individually, after hotfooting it back to the North Pole, to tell them what presents they’re getting?

Still, if Mr. Ford went a little further than most of the premiers, he was in line with the general mood after Monday’s First Ministers’ Meeting, Mark Carney’s first as prime minister. Very positive, was the consensus. Much better than that last guy. We can work with him.

Why, it was all so jovial and collegial it called to mind another First Ministers’ Meeting, in March of 2016, Justin Trudeau’s first. Then the premiers were full of praise for his directness and sincerity, or just for being willing to meet them, after being iced for so many........

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