Federal politics have seen quite the shakeup in 2025, with the Prime Minister stepping down, the federal Liberal Party entering into a leadership race, and an election likely right around the corner.
For the southeast, the perceived instability in the current situation has had some both excited and worried about what changes might be coming.
Estevan Mayor Tony Sernick says that he'd like a bit more stability as threats from down south are worrying.
"I wish he would have called an election because obviously just with his resignation it really doesn't change anything. The federal coalition, they're running our federal government. We are prorogued, obviously all you hear about is tariffs and president-elect Donald Trump coming in and then here our federal government is prorogued till March. So again, it doesn't really change anything in the fact of until there's an election called, nothing changes."
Despite the disruptions, Sernick says they're still keeping a connection with some of the federal grant programs that the city looks to for support.
"There's a few, PrairiesCan, just to name one organization that we deal with federally for any kind of grants ongoing. So we're still in contact with them and they've actually just visited our city a few weeks ago, basically just to pop in and say hi and meet the new Council. So it was really good. But yeah, kind of the organizations federally that we deal with are still going. It's just kind of the actual government that's prorogued right now."
With federal leaders pledging to bring an election once parliament is brought back, the likelihood of a spring election means we'd see a new leader receive a mandate soon.
Sernick says that whatever the result, he wants to see a federal government that cares about energy policy.
"We are the energy city and the bad word, coal and oil and gas and all that sort of fun stuff. We just need kind of more support, if you will. What you're seeing right now, obviously with the tariffs coming in, I was just watching the news this morning and late last night and you know all the premiers are getting together and the focus is on energy."
"Our own government has been trying to transition us away from our own energy for the last 10 years. So now, with tariffs coming in and all that stuff now, now energy is so important. So the new government, whoever that may be, definitely need to focus on energy and the importance of it and obviously we can lower emissions and all that sort. Everything we can do there, we can continue to do, but just needs to come into light, the importance of our energy."