Health and indigenous affairs will dominate the agenda of a meeting today of federal, state and territory leaders, but if Western Australia's labour crisis is not addressed, the price will be paid by the entire country, the state's Premier, Alan Carpenter, has warned.

While other leaders prepared to tackle education, health, business deregulation, housing and climate change, Mr Carpenter said he would be pushing for a national approach to skills development and infrastructure, and an overhaul of skilled migration - all issues critical to the state's resource-driven economic growth, which was underpinning the national economy.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22951829-5013871,00.html