Moe hears back from Trudeau on exclusion concerns

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe’s loud, boisterous comments on Tuesday seem to have hit their mark, prompting Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau to call Moe later in the day to hear his concerns.

“The prime minister had reached out. We had a conversation as well on the parameters of the new deal (and) why I had put the new deal forward with respect to the lay of the land here in Saskatchewan,” Moe said Wednesday on 980 CJME’s Gormley.

On Tuesday, Moe called out the prime minister-elect in a fiery media scrum, emphasizing changes he wants to see under the newly elected minority Liberal government.

After constituents in the Regina-Wascana riding voted out the province’s lone Liberal MP, Ralph Goodale, and two other NDP incumbents lost their seats, all of the province’s 14 ridings are represented by Conservative MPs.

“I would put forward they went Conservative due to the fact that Saskatchewan has certain sentiments about the direction that the federal government has taken over the last four years,” Moe said.

Hence his call for a so-called new deal, which he sent in letter form to Trudeau.

It includes cancelling the federal carbon tax, building oil pipelines and renegotiating the equalization payment formula.

Moe said Trudeau restated his support for Saskatchewan, but he wouldn’t say if the PM talked about concrete commitments to the province or its energy sector.

“He again reiterated that he was there to support Saskatchewan people and I provided him the opportunity through this letter, and I informed him that these are some concrete steps he could take in the future,” the premier said.

“We appreciate those sentiments (and) we appreciate those words. But we actually need some action here.”

Speaking with media for the first time since Monday’s federal election, Trudeau promised to find a way to ensure that Alberta and Saskatchewan have a voice in cabinet after the Liberals didn’t earn a seat in either province.

He said he has already spoken with Moe and Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, as well as other western politicians like Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi, to get the region’s issues in front of the government and bridge any political divides.

Part of that means getting the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion built, he said.

“For too long we have been selling our natural resources to the United States at a discount. Getting our resources to markets other than the United States, and getting that done as quickly as possible remains a priority for us,” Trudeau said.

He acknowledged that “people in Alberta and Saskatchewan have been suffering and struggling because of circumstances beyond their control. We have over the past few years endeavoured to be supportive. We have endeavoured to get those resources to new markets and we are well advancing on that.”

On keeping Canada united and each premier doing his/her part on that front (including Conservative premiers), Trudeau said: “I expect premiers Kenney and Moe and all premiers to stand up for the interests of their citizens. That’s their job.”

Trudeau said he will introduce his new federal cabinet on Nov. 20, and that it will be a 50-50 split of men and women.

As for working with other parties, the prime minister said he wants to meet with their leaders to hear their priority items, “but I can tell you it is not in our plans at all to form any sort of formal or informal coalition.”

— With files from the Canadian Press