Moe teases white paper and legislation on provincial-federal jurisdiction

On Friday morning, Saskatchewan’s premier teased an announcement coming after the long weekend about federal and provincial jurisdiction.

Speaking on Gormley, Scott Moe said a white paper will be released Tuesday about some research the provincial government has been doing into jurisdictions and what federal policies are costing in dollars and opportunities.

“(It) really is going to start the foundation for some of the initiatives we’re going to look at this fall … This is about Saskatchewan achieving what we know Saskatchewan can achieve in the industries that are creating wealth in communities across the province,” said Moe.

Moe wants a traditional discussion about what is federal jurisdiction and what is provincial.

Legislation this fall could include expansions on the province prioritizing immigration and Moe said his government is looking at legislation to clarify jurisdiction.

However, Moe said this isn’t his government picking fights.

“This government in Saskatchewan did not introduce the federal carbon tax. We did not introduce the methane mandates, the oil emissions cap, the fertilizer mandates (and) the clean-fuel regulations. Those are all federal initiatives that were introduced and it’s this government, most certainly, that is going to stand up for the industries that are creating wealth in our province,” explained Moe.

The premier believes he’s trying to build a stronger Saskatchewan and that doesn’t undermine Confederation.

“This absolutely supports Confederation. We want to build a much stronger Saskatchewan in the years ahead, and we are doing that … A strong Saskatchewan most certainly supports and strengthens the nation of Canada,” said Moe.