Kathleen Wynne demands meeting with Stephen Harper

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Premier Kathleen Wynne is demanding a meeting with Prime Minister Stephen Harper by the end of the year.

Wynne, who has not met face-to-face with Harper in 11 months, on Wednesday wrote to him requesting an audience.

“It’s a much better situation when the prime minister of Canada and the premier of our country’s biggest province are working together collaboratively,” she told the legislature.

“The issues at hand are of vital interest and importance to the more than 13 million residents of our province, and they have a right to expect a close and positive collaboration between their federal and provincial heads of government,” said Wynne.

“This is not a partisan issue,” said the Liberal premier of the Conservative prime minister.

“I look forward to hearing from Prime Minister Harper very soon, confirming a meeting between the two of us before the end of this year, and to working shoulder-to-shoulder with him on these issues.”

Harper’s office was not immediately available to respond.

Wynne said she asked the prime minister on Sept. 16 for a meeting “at his earliest convenience to discuss a variety of issues relating to economic growth, developing safe and prosperous communities, and building a strong Ontario within a strong Canada.”

He finally replied on Monday — 62 days later — but made no mention of a sit-down session.

Against the backdrop of a federal election within the next 11 months — and mindful Harper must retain scores of Ontario seats to keep his majority government — Wynne is stepping up the pressure.

She wants to talk about developing the Ring of Fire chromite mining project, the Chinese currency trading hub for Toronto, pensions, and violence against aboriginal women and girls.

Even though Wynne was re-elected with a majority on June 12, she and Harper have barely spoken this year.

The premier called him last month after the Oct. 22 shooting on Parliament Hill that killed Cpl. Nathan Cirillo.

Prior to that brief conversation, Canada’s two most powerful political leaders had not chatted since March.

At that time, the prime minister called her and urged her not to publicly comment on the Quebec election amid concerns that would hurt federalist Philippe Couillard’s chances against separatist incumbent Pauline Marois.