ST..JOHNS (CBC) - Premier Danny Williams said Thursday he's delighted with letters received from both the Liberal and New Democratic parties in response to a letter he sent requesting the parties' positions on issues of interest to Newfoundland and Labrador.

Liberal leader Stéphane Dion's letter arrived Thursday, Williams said in a news release.

In his response to Williams's letter from Sept. 9, 2008, Dion said the federal and provincial governments cannot work together without trust, which is something he's vowing to restore between the two levels of government.

"Canadians need to know that their provincial and federal governments can work together and put the best interests of their citizens first," Dion said in his letter.

"Mr. Dion's statement that we cannot work together without trust gave me great comfort, as I have always said that I much prefer a leader who has integrity and can be trusted than a leader who makes meaningless promises just to win votes," Williams said in the release.

He also said Prime Minister Stephan Harper's broken promise to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador was indefensible. He was referring to the pledge Harper made during the 2006 federal election campaign that he would exclude nonrenewable resource revenues from the calculation of equalization payments. In power, the Conservatives accounted for those revenues in the new equalization formula.

In his letter, Dion said his party is committed to the Atlantic Accord and that a Liberal government would be a willing partner for megaprojects such as an Atlantic Energy Corridor, suggesting support for the proposed Lower Churchill hydroelectric project.

Dion also wrote that his party would work to establish a moratorium on rate hikes for the Marine Atlantic ferry service and would move the National Ice Centre in Gander as a way of beefing up the federal government presence in the province.

Williams said the letters from Dion and Layton contain many commitments and initiatives that are very positive for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

"But [what's] ... also very important, very telling ... is the social conscience that's in both those parties," Williams told reporters. "When it comes to social issues, in Mr. Dion's letter he talks about basically funding women's issues, he talks about funding for minority rights, he talks about putting money into culture, about reversing the cuts that Mr. Harper's put in place."

New Democratic Leader Jack Layton sent his response Sept. 16. He also said his party would support the Atlantic Accord and the Lower Churchill project.

Williams said no letter had been received yet from Harper.

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