Rex Murphy: Trudeau’s ‘attitude issue’ and ‘two-tier government’ snubbing the Prairies

Canadian journalist Rex Murphy said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is running a two-tiered government that is driving western alienation.

Murphy made the comments to Global News Morning anchor Jacqueline Wilson before making a keynote address to the NSBA and Farm & Food Care Saskatchewan at Prairieland Park in Saskatoon.

“The reason the Liberals are reduced to a minority has to do with the attitude of the government. Instead of shuffling the cabinet, why not change the attitude that brought Canada to a place where it has two distinct separatist movements,” Murphy said.

“We have whole segments of the country that aren’t represented in government and whole segments over-represented.”

In October, the Liberals did not win any seats in Alberta and Saskatchewan, and lost the national popular vote to the Conservatives.

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“Mr. Trudeau has to wake up to one substantial, salient fact: he’s running a two-tier government,” Murphy said.

“He seems to know the social concerns that agitate the progressive centers and he seems utterly cut off from a great well of sentiment that’s building up in other places.”

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe met with Trudeau in Ottawa on Nov. 12 and called the meeting “disappointing.”

Moe said he heard “more of the same” from Trudeau and no commitment to pausing or cancelling the carbon tax, renegotiating equalization, and ensuring more pipelines are built.

Murphy said Trudeau’s attitude is harming the country.

“He should not be putting Canada in an imbalance because there’s a certain mentality in one part of the country, that happens to be the government, that seems unavailable to the understanding of other regions,” Murphy said.

Saskatchewan farmers are struggling from a tough harvest because of cool and wet conditions halting operations. Much of the crop harvested is now tough or damp, decreasing market value.

On top of that, the farming and mining industries are also worried about getting its product to market because of the CN strike.

Murphy said the federal government needs to act and pay attention to all parts of the country.

“Saskatchewan, considering the size of the population, is a world player in farming. The fact that it can be under the combination of negative forces it is and have it only be a footnote is crazy.”

“If we have a national government that cares about the confederation itself, it better start paying attention to real dilemmas in other places.”