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The Harper government is prepared to let Quebec negotiate a unilateral labour-mobility deal with France, and is willing to provide each province with similar autonomy on economic issues, the Prime Minister's Quebec lieutenant, Lawrence Cannon, has announced.

In the clearest indication to date that the Conservatives are willing to offer exclusive arrangements for each province, Mr. Cannon signalled the Harper government is prepared to shift the way the national government works with its provincial counterparts.

Quebec offers potent political benefits for the minority government and with economic volatility affecting all provinces differently, Mr. Cannon said in an interview that it is time to deal individually with each province's needs.

While he declines to use the word "asymmetrical," Mr. Cannon concedes the effect of his proposed framework creates precisely such a landscape.

The collapse of a manufacturing base in Central Canada and Alberta's work force shortage mean each province's story has to be addressed through an autonomous approach. Mr. Cannon acknowledged the concept of autonomy is dear to Quebec nationalists in particular.

"Quebeckers are overwhelmingly tired of the battle between those who say they are federalists and those who say they are sovereigntists," Mr. Cannon said. "Quebeckers are nationalist, Quebeckers are autonomist, and our political formation is fully responsive to those desires."

But Mr. Cannon also asserted that the government's message of autonomy is for all the provinces, each one of which faces its own challenge.

In addition to Quebec's attempts to reach a labour deal with France, Mr. Cannon referred to Alberta's efforts to put up trade missions abroad, saying Ottawa will work with the provinces to make such projects come to fruition.

"Autonomy is a way to give the partners in the federation, according to their specific and timely needs, the powers and accommodations ... that will allow them to move forward to meet their economic goals," Mr. Cannon said, on the eve of a Conservative Party caucus meeting in Quebec City.

The Charest government and the French government are moving closer to a deal that they hope will mean the professional qualifications of their workers are recognized in both places. The move is seen as crucial in Quebec, where long-standing shortages of workers such as doctors could be alleviated by an influx of qualified French immigrants.

"It's something that the Quebec government wants, and it's something the federal government wants," Mr. Cannon said.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has already spoken of Quebec autonomy in speeches in the province, including at a Fête Nationale event last month. However, Mr. Cannon emphasized the intention is to turn it into a pan-Canadian policy.

The strategy could lead to a restructuring of powers between the federal and the provincial governments, especially given that the Harper government's recent rounds of tax cuts reduced Ottawa's ability to launch new social programs.

The word "autonomy" has a special meaning in Quebec where it's the constitutional battle cry of the Action Démocratique du Québec, the Official Opposition that is looking for a third way between federalism and sovereignty.

Mr. Cannon says his government is simply following up on the heritage of Father of Confederation George-Étienne Cartier, who pushed to give clear powers to the provinces at the birth of Canada.

"The Conservative Party's message on autonomy existed well before the ADQ," he said. "The father of autonomy is George-Étienne Cartier, not [ADQ Leader] Mario Dumont."

While the Harper government is promising increased provincial independence, Mr. Cannon said it will not commit to reopening the Constitution to enshrine the recognition of Quebec as a nation.

"It's not a question of saying that tomorrow morning, we're opening the Constitution. That, in my view, would be a serious mistake," he said.

"Quebeckers and Canadians are interested in a good government and a durable constitutional peace."

The 127 Conservative MPs are meeting for two days at a hotel in Lévis, across the St. Lawrence River from Quebec City. Mr. Harper will arrive this morning and attend a partisan barbecue in St. Agapit tonight, and is planning to speak to reporters tomorrow.

Mr. Cannon said the caucus meeting will be a good time for MPs to discuss what they are hearing in their ridings, including growing concerns about the economy.

"It's obvious that the rise in fuel prices at the pump is something that causes concerns, but I don't think it's something that sticks to the government, in that people understand that it's an international issue," he said.

Mr. Cannon said he feels that Canadians remain optimistic about the economy.

"I don't hear a lot of people who complain that the economy is stagnating, that there is a recession or that there are job losses. On the contrary, people tell me that despite difficulties in the United States and elsewhere, we seem to be doing well," he said.

Mr. Cannon said that while reviews are sometimes mixed on Mr. Harper, the overall satisfaction with the government is high.

Mr. Cannon also pointed to the recent signing of a multibillion-dollar infrastructure deal with Ontario, adding that despite Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty's recent criticisms of the federal government, the Conservatives' goal is to steadily improve relations with every province.