Both Premier Scott Moe and opposition leader Carla Beck have reacted negatively to the 25 per cent tariffs imposed on Canada by President Donald Trump.
Moe had harsh words for President Trump in a statement he issued on the X platform on Tuesday afternoon.
“President Trump is just simply wrong when he says Canada has nothing to USA needs and Americans are about to find out he is wrong. American farmers need Canadian fuel and fertilizer to grow their crops. Trumps tariffs will drive up the cost of oil, potash and uranium and that will drive up the cost of groceries for every American family.
“That’s just one example. Prices will go up for US families immediately and jobs will be lost as a result of the Trump tariffs. This is a completely self-inflicted and unnecessary actions by the American government.
“Canada’s response needs to be economically sound and reasoned. It should not result in the same kind of self-inflicted harm that Trump is imposing on his citizens.
“To that end, our government is carefully considering Saskatchewan’s response. Cabinet will meet tomorrow to consider all options.
“As we have always done, our government will continue working to expand trade to other countries and expand trade within Canada by reducing interprovincial barriers and promoting the construction of necessary infrastructure, like pipelines. Further measures in response to the US tariffs will be announced in the days ahead.”
At the legislature Tuesday, Opposition Leader Beck called yet again for an emergency sitting of the Legislature to address the trade war and develop a response. She once again accused the government of doing the “bare minimum.”
“This is a scary time for a lot of families and businesses. They deserve to know that their government is doing everything they can to protect them,” Beck said in a statement.
“We look out for each other in Saskatchewan — it’s part of who we are. It’s time for this government to do the same.”
As for their response to the tariffs, in a news release the NDP again called for the government to invest in rail lines, pipelines and power lines — a position they had announced last week — and a boycott of American goods in favour of made-in-Saskatchewan alternatives, also something they announced a week ago.
“This is a crisis – we need to come together and take a stand for our economy, for our country,” Beck said in a statement. “We owe it to the people of Saskatchewan to be in this Legislature considering any and all options and being accountable to those who will feel the impact of these tariffs most.”