Trudeau not the prime minister of Quebec: Saskatchewan premier

Two Western premiers say the SNC-Lavalin affair is distracting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at a time when he should be focused on jobs in their region.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe took aim Thursday at the prime minister’s comments about 9,000 jobs tied to the Quebec company.

By comparison, Moe said there have been thousands of job lost in energy sector, all while Trudeau is championing controversial energy policies like the carbon tax and Bill C-69, which he wants scrapped.

“I remind the prime minister again, he’s not the prime minister of Quebec,” Moe said. “He’s the prime minister for all Canadians.”

Moe also criticized Trudeau for involving Canada’s ambassador to the United States, David MacNaughton, in the issue, when there are tariffs in place on Canadian steel and aluminium.

Alberta Premier Rachel Notley told reporters Thursday that Alberta’s struggle to get its oil to market has a far greater impact on jobs than SNC-Lavalin.

She also suggested jobs at the Quebec company would be more affected by Alberta’s economy than the outcome of any criminal prosecution the company is facing.

“We need our federal government to focus on the big picture and, by doing that, they will realize that Albertans need their attention.”

Notley said earlier this week that Trudeau needs to get back to work defending jobs and farmers, especially since China has started blocking import shipments of Canadian canola.

“We are calling on Ottawa to stop its navel-gazing about its internal controversies and fight back,” she said.

— With files from Lauren Krugel in Calgary.

Stephanie Taylor, The Canadian Press