Premiers rely on Martins minority troubles to drive hard bargain on health

[Quetzal]

Premiers rely on Martin's minority troubles to drive hard bargain on health

OTTAWA (CP) - Canada's premiers are hopeful that Prime Minister Paul Martin's tenuous grip on a minority government will give them leverage to drive a hard bargain at this week's high-stakes health-care summit.

As they prepare to head Monday into the first session of a three-day, televised first ministers meeting, premiers are well aware that Martin is vulnerable politically and needs a deal more badly than they do.

Martin's Liberal minority could be defeated in Parliament at any time and, premiers reckon, he won't want to risk facing the electorate again without delivering on his top campaign promise from last June's election: to fix Canada's health-care system for a generation.

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