Premier Scott Moe took time to speak at the SUMA Convention and Tradeshow being held in Saskatoon on Monday to push specific points of the provincial budget.
He said the resource-based economy in Saskatchewan is something that needs to be protected.
“Contrary to what some in this room may think, I don’t get up in the morning and the first thought through my mind is I wonder how I can disagree with the Prime Minister and the federal government today,” Moe said.
He said he’s willing to work with the federal government when it’s in the best interest of Saskatchewan residents.
“At times doing what is best for Saskatchewan means defending our people and our industries from harmful intrusion at times,” Moe added.
The Sask Party government has on several occasions claimed that the federal government overstepped some of their boundaries, and recently took aim at the federal justice minister’s comments at an Assembly of First Nations assembly on April 5 to look at the Natural Resources Transfer Agreement.
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“I think in the months and years ahead when you see the federal government overreaching into areas that we feel are outside their jurisdiction, much like Quebec, we most certainly are going to take the federal government to task.”
He said there are some lines in the sand established.
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“We’re not going to in any way allow the federal government to get comfortable with infringing on areas that we feel are clearly within the provincial jurisdiction,” Moe said.
Moe touched on building the export economy in the province, but also bringing in more health-care workers, and expanding mental health supports.
He said additional addictions beds are on the way, but said an intake is needed for people facing a mental health crisis or addictions.
“We need an intake where we have folks who will take them, most certainly place them in front of the health-care professional that they need at that particular time, and that was what part of those urgent care centres are going to provide.”
He added they won’t be focusing on safe consumption sites, instead putting their sights on rehabilitation.
Moe said he did not meet with Justin Trudeau because he was only offered five minutes with the prime minister during a Saskatchewan stop last week.
He said he was scheduled to have meetings in Prince Albert, and five minutes was not worth an eight-hour round-trip drive to Regina.
He noted he wanted to speak with the prime minister about the infrastructure fund, clean electricity standards and the Natural Resources Transfer Agreement.
The two leaders have not met in person during either of Trudeau’s two stops in the province so far this year and the federal Liberal government is often the target of Moe’s criticism on a range of topics.
Trudeau’s January stop at a rare earth elements processing plant in Saskatoon caused conflict with the premier after Moe expressed disappointment he was not made aware of the visit.
– with files from The Canadian Press
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