“Canadians have spoken, and I would take this opportunity to congratulate Prime Minister Mark Carney on his election win. Canadians have provided him and your party and your government a new mandate,” Premier Scott Moe said during his post-election press conference yesterday.
“While you had very strong support in some parts of Canada, there are many Canadians, including most of us in Saskatchewan, who voted for a degree of change and now it's up to you to show that you have heard that message and to deliver change.”
Premier Moe acknowledged Prime Minister Carney’s willingness to work with the Western Provinces, indicating that both Saskatchewan’s and the federal government’s goals can be met though compromise and discussion.
“Last night what I heard was that Prime Minister Carney said that he wants to work with Alberta and Saskatchewan. He’s also said that he wants to make Canada into a global leading energy superpower, and that's great to hear, but those are nothing but words.”
“I would say, and I've said it many times, that policies truly do matter, in particular in this space. Some of the government's policies, the federal government's policies, they quite simply are going to need to change in order for Canada to achieve that goal.”
Premier Moe also found common ground on Prime Minister Carney’s stance on the United States and the Trump administration, once again indicating a willingness to work with the federal government on the matter while playing to Saskatchewan’s strengths.
“Prime Minister Carney had said is that we must deal with the United States of America and the Trump administration from a position of strength, and I couldn't agree more with that statement. Making Canada the world's leading energy superpower would be a pretty good start to dealing with the United States as well as any other allied country from a position of strength.”
“We have some ideas on how we can jointly achieve that as a provincial government and what policies this new administration may need to alter to some degree in order for us as Canadians to achieve that global energy superpower.”
The spirit of cooperation continued, with Premier Moe extending an olive branch to Prime Minister Carney in his closing remarks.
“I would say that this is an opportunity for each and all of us to hit the reset button, if you will, on the federal governments relationship with the province and the people of Saskatchewan.”
“I hope that this offer is taken, and I would take this opportunity to invite Prime Minister Carney to a meeting here in Saskatchewan where we'd love to host him, to chart a productive path forward for our province within the nation.”
“I want to work alongside this federal government to build a strong and growing Saskatchewan, as I said, within a very united and strong growing nation of Canada. I look forward to meeting with the new Prime Minister as soon as possible so that we can start working together to achieve that mutual goal that we have.”