Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland visited Regina Tuesday to discuss Saskatchewan’s issues with the federal government.
Freeland met with both Mayor Michael Fougere and Premier Scott Moe to listen to their views on the election and what can be done moving forward.
There was more of a positive reaction to the Premier’s visit with Freeland. Earlier this month, Moe met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to discuss the federal elections results that saw Saskatchewan and Alberta reject the federal liberals completely, opening talk of western separatism, something Moe himself says he believes is not the answer.
However, the carbon tax was again discussed. Moe said it has had a major impact on agriculture.
“We did ask for not only the grain drying to be exempt here in the province, given the tough conditions that they had this fall, but we had aeration fans running across the province as well this fall,” Moe said. “There was a discussion very specific to grain dryers which I requested that the carbon taxation dollars that have been charged on drying of our agri-food products here, that that be refunded to our producers.”
Moe said during the meeting, he stressed how Canada is diverse not only because of the people, but also how each province generates wealth.
“It’s very different in Saskatchewan, and other areas of the nation, but in saying that we are producing some of the most sustainable products in the world, and there is hopefully a conversation that we can enter into about recognizing some of that investment and some of what has already been done.”
Meanwhile, Fougere said he went over his thoughts on western alienation, oil and gas, exports and climate change. “I jut simply said there must be an equivalency between what the province is recommending and what the carbon tax is. A way to square that circle to find a compromise between the two of them as we are taxing carbon, the large and perhaps that’s a way to change behavior and to invest in new technology as well.”
@MayorFougere meeting with deputy Prime Minister @cafreeland at city hall#yqr #sask #cdnpoli #skpoli pic.twitter.com/X5TwoLFfj3
— Ryan McNally (@RyanE_McNally) November 26, 2019
Fougere also expressed concerns about infrastructure dollars coming to municipalities. “It doesn’t flow fast enough. We have a new minister and how she will be working on the file I’m not sure, but concerned that infrastructure money flows to projects as soon as possible.”
“Every municipality around the province has needs for infrastructure,” he adds. “We just don’t want to see delays.”
{Files from Mackenzie Read and Ryan McNally}
