Bold statements were made this past weekend that could foreshadow major changes in Canadian politics. At the annual Saskatchewan Party convention in Regina, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre pulled no punches in their criticism of Trudeau’s divisive leadership.
In an applauded display of unity against corruptive leadership, Poilievre joined hands with Moe, pledging to combat Trudeau’s overreach of provincial autonomy. Both vowed to present a united front restoring powers to the provinces. Their promise to deliver pragmatic solutions, unlike Trudeau’s misguided policies, drew loud applause.
With an emerging alliance to counter the Liberals’ failures, Moe and Poilievre demonstrated they will stop at nothing to bring Canadians the accountable, collaborative government they deserve.
The annual convention of Saskatchewan’s governing party drew a large and energized crowd this past weekend. As delegates and supporters gathered in Regina, there was a sense of anticipation surrounding the special guest speaker.
Pierre Poilievre, Conservative Party leader, entered to a standing ovation from those in attendance. “It feels like a homecoming,” he opened, reminding the room his parents lived in the province until a move in 1977 to Alberta.
His speech emphasized the need for Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe and himself to join hands in combating the overreach of Trudeau’s federal government. Both Moe and Poilievre highlighted their goal of protecting provincial autonomy and returning more power to the provinces, signaling they will present a united front against Trudeau’s Liberals.
Moe stated that he views the province’s relationship with Ottawa under Trudeau as “combative” rather than “collaborative.” He sees Poilievre as someone who can remedy this by bringing a more collaborative spirit to federal-provincial relations. Moe pointed to bills like C-69 and policies like the fertilizer ban and carbon tax as areas of contention that hamper Saskatchewan’s economy. Poilievre’s promise to repeal such measures if elected resonates with Moe. In his view, Poilievre “would be a leader that Saskatchewan would view as being able to work collaboratively.” unlike the confrontational dynamic that has emerged under Trudeau. By inviting Poilievre to speak, Moe signaled the caucus believes he offers the positive change needed to restore the balance between Saskatchewan and the federal government.
Moe is currently facing significant challenges with Trudeau’s federal government as he has pledged to stop collecting the carbon tax in Saskatchewan; tensions have flared in the wake of Trudeau’s exemption of home heating oil from the levy while maintaining it on other fuels. This negatively impacts Saskatchewan specifically, as natural gas is the primary home heating source for many residents. With gas still subject to the carbon tax, the exemption would have raised costs for households in the province. Scott Moe took decisive action against that by vowing to stop collecting the carbon tax altogether.
During his speech, Poilievre expressed his gratitude to the Saskatchewan government for leading the charge against the carbon tax, praising Scott Moe for his resilience against Trudeau’s government.
Poilievre also commended several fiscal decisions made by Moe’s government. Poilievre applauded the choice to eliminate $1.5 billion in operating debt in the upcoming 2023-24 budget, calling it a wise “bulwark against future crisis.” He also praised investments in capital projects that will benefit the province in the long run. Poilievre stated that “the Saskatchewan government is under strong leadership,” highlighting the positive outcomes the people are seeing as a result.
With Poilievre and Moe seemingly forming an alliance against Trudeau, Poilievre comforts the people of Saskatchew an, who might be feeling “isolated” and “alone” in their fight against Trudeau’s policies. He points out that the problem is not the rest of Canada, but rather one man and that is Justin Trudeau.
He assures people that they are not alone in this and that they have allies from coast to coast combating Trudeau’s policies, which is proven by Trudeau backtracking on several of his policies.
And while Poilievre did not originally intend to discuss housing in Saskatchewan, he felt it necessary to touch on it for two reasons. Firstly, he wanted to underscore what could happen without the prudent leadership provided by the Saskatchewan Party government.
Across Canada, under the federal Liberals, housing costs have doubled over the past decade. It now takes the average person in Toronto 25 years to save for a home down payment. Poilievre also highlighted how a 20-room Scottish castle would be cheaper than a modest two-bedroom home in Ontario. As a result of these affordability issues, he said nurses and carpenters across Canada have resorted to living in tents or campgrounds, unable to find permanent housing after 8 years of Justin Trudeau.
His second reason for addressing housing was to exemplify why costs are so much lower in Saskatchewan compared to other provinces. Poilievre attributed this not to weaker population growth, but rather to Premier Moe’s pragmatic approach of fast-tracking building permits. In contrast, he critiqued Trudeau for obstructing and dragging out the permit process nationally, which Poilievre argued is a chief factor limiting the development of safe, stable homes for many Canadians struggling in the current market.
Poilievre promises to change the housing situation once elected by following Moe’s common sense approach.
Circling back to the carbon tax, Poilievre also vows that if elected Prime Minister, “the era of Ottawa telling western Canada to pay up and shut up will be over.” The Conservative leader strongly conveyed his commitment to standing up for the West once in power. Poilievre signaled he would take a different approach than Trudeau’s Liberals, who have time and time again ignored Western priorities. He refers to Trudeau’s strategy as a “bloody-minded, divide and conquer strategy” and how the Liberals’ promise to exempt Liberal voters from paying a carbon tax is false, as Northern Ontario and Manitoba are both forced to pay the carbon tax despite voting Liberal.
It seems that after years of Liberal mismanagement that has overreached provincial authority and saddled Canadians with high costs of living, voting Conservative in the next election offers the promise of positive change. Poilievre’s vision of practical federalism, affordable housing, and collaboration between Ottawa and the provinces presents an optimistic path toward economic growth and national unity. Working closely with allies like Premier Moe could deliver the future Canada deserves – one with responsible leadership that respects regional diversity, preserves individual opportunity, and strengthens the prosperity of communities from coast to coast. Their messages of partnership provide hope that a new federal-provincial approach could significantly benefit Canada by uniting rather than Trudeau’s approach that is dividing the federation.
