7 storylines shaping this week's Council of the Federation talks

Don't look at the agenda for this week's Council of the Federation talks and think little haschanged since thepremiers last met.

Sure, there's a familiar feeling when premiers haggle over carbon taxes, health care transfers and internal trade barriers.

But two recently-electedpremiers(Dwight Ball from Newfoundland and Labrador and BrianPallisterfrom Manitoba) weren't in St. John's for last summer's reunion.And other significant shifts have altered the landscape the 13 provincial and territorial premiers are looking at.

Here's a preview:

Collaborating with First Nations

The 2016 meeting is the first hosted by one of Canada's territories. But the trip north is about more than Yukontaking its turn.Premier Darrell Pasloski, who heads the right-leaning Yukon Party, isfocused on economic development as this year's chair.

While the Thursday and Friday sessions are in Whitehorse,the first sessions with national Aboriginal organizations on Wednesday are west of town, inHaines Junction.

Premiers will hear how local First Nations collaborated on resource development projects.

The premiers agreed on a Canadian energy strategy last year and implementation is underway.

• 2015 Meeting: National energy strategyOK'dat meeting of premiers

The focus:moving oil and gas to tidewater for export. There's an understanding now that pipelines don't happen without First Nations buy-in.

Northern viewson carbon pricing

Federal Environment Minister Catherine McKenna needs to develop apricing scheme for carbon pollution as part of anational emissions reduction strategy duelater this year.

But premiers disagree on howto do it. Some feel unfairly burdened.

• First ministers' next steps on carbon pricing obscured by smog

"The situation in the territories in the North is different than in the rest of the country," McKennasaid lastweek in Yellowknife, where she met with her three territorial counterparts."There's a high cost of living, goods are brought in."

For example, goods shipped into Nunavut may come from Quebec, where there's already carbon pricing. Should northerners have to pay twice?

McKenna said she was listening to concerns. But anational system is a tough goal whilethingslike home heating and electricity generation vary from province to province.

Respecting regional differences alsosuitsa province like Nova Scotia, with its renewed interestin coal-powered electricityeven as others phase that outto cutemissions.

MMIWinquiry details expected soon

When premiers met last summer, the former Conservative government was uninterested in holding a national inquiry into murdered and missingIndigenous women.

The Council of the Federation considered calling their own.

Then Justin Trudeau's Liberals were elected on a pledge to hold one. After months of consulting,Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett says it's "very close" to launch.

But at the Assembly of First Nations gathering last week, chiefs accused a couple of provinces of dragging their feet, despite federal assurances that theywon't need to shoulder the cost.

• Chiefs urge holdout provinces, Ottawa to stop 'dragging feet' oninquiry

Manitoba Justice Minister Heather Stefanson told CBC News she wants more consultation, and at least one commissioner from Manitoba, to reflect her province'slarge Indigenouspopulation.

Manitoba and British Columbia are concerned about duplicating previous provincial inquiries.

A forced handon internal trade?

In April, aNew Brunswick judgetossed outcharges against a man who brought beer back from Quebec,once againfocusingminds on interprovincialtrade barriers.

While that argumentcontinues in court,Canada remains a place that can't agree on selling milk in jugs or bags andwhere you have to check before booking a tradesperson from just across a provincial boundary.

Even Bank of Canada governor Stephen Polozsays it hurtseconomic growth.

Provincial trade ministers announced the makings of adeal to fix this earlier this month. It won't cover everything some provinces wish there weren't so manyexclusionsbut it's a starting point for the premiers on Thursday.

• Ontario says 'unprecedented'interprovincialtrade proposals ready for PM, premiers

A deal may prevent the embarrassment of provinces having agreed to more freetrade internationally than theyallow amongst themselves.

For example, the Canada-EU trade dealincludes things like recognizing professional credentials across jurisdictions.

If itproceeds towards at least provisional ratification by 2017, provinces who participated in thenegotiations need to pass legislation to comply.

Looming health accord deadline

When the current federal-provincial health accord expires next spring, growth in health transfers will be limited to either an annual minimumof three per cent, or an increase matched to the rate of Canada's GDP growth, whichever is higher.

That's a substantial dip from the six per cent growth in place for more than a decade, a bombshell that stunned provinces whenformer finance minister Jim Flaherty announced it in 2011.

Provinces hope for a betterdeal with the new Liberal government.

Health Minister Jane Philpott says a $3 billion campaign pledge for new home care funding is still available.

• Ottawa favours targeted health-care spending over increased transfers

But the federal government wants to target new spending, notjust increase transfers.

Ottawa's help ontheinside

When the federal government was Conservative, Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall sometimesechoed Ottawa's perspective on certain files.

Federal-provincial relations have a different dynamic now: a 401 shuffle, after manyLiberal advisors from Ontario government backgroundsmoved from Toronto toOttawa.

Premier Kathleen Wynne'sstrongstand on Canada Pension Plan enhancement has already helped moveprovinces towards adeal with the federal government.

• B.C. delays signing on to CPP expansion, wants to hold consultations

How mightWynne influenceother files?

Council of Federation's future?

Former prime minister Stephen Harper didn't like meeting withpremiers.

Frustrated, provinces and territories decided they'd work together on shared national concerns, with or without Ottawa.

Nowthe federal partner has returned to the table and re-engaged. A new prime minister is once again keen on First Ministers' meetings.

Are premiers-only gatherings still useful? We'll see this week.

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