REGINA - Federal issues have definitely been the focus of provincial politicians in Saskatchewan over the last number of days.
The federal Carbon Tax has been front and centre ever since the move by the Justin Trudeau government to provide an exemption for home heating oil, a move primarily impacting Atlantic Canada. Saskatchewan has been one of the provinces calling for an exemption for all forms of home heating, with Premier Scott Moe going so far as to say SaskEnergy would stop collecting the carbon tax as of Jan.1.
The federal Conservatives under Pierre Poilievre had introduced a motion in Parliament to extend the exemption as well to all forms of home heating. That federal motion, which ended up being backed by the NDP, ended up being defeated after the Bloc Québécois sided with the Liberals in that vote on Monday.
The carbon tax exemption on home heating oil also was a hot topic for provincial Saskatchewan Party delegates at their convention in Regina on the weekend, a convention in which Poilievre himself appeared as a keynote speaker.
It was also the major topic at the Premier’s conference in Halifax, where Premier Scott Moe was attending this week. At that conference, the premiers made known their displeasure that the exemption was not being applied fairly to the entire country.
While opposition Conservatives have been hammering the federal government on the carbon tax issue, federal Liberals have countered by raising the issue of Alberta’s talk of exiting the Canada Pension Plan. During a meeting last week of provincial finance ministers with federal minister Chrystia Freeland, that issue turned into a prime topic, much to the chagrin of Saskatchewan Finance Minister Donna Harpauer.
In a statement released Friday, Harpauer expressed frustration that her provincial concerns about the carbon tax were being pushed to the side:
“There was a lot of recognition from provinces across the nation of the need for fairness for all Canadians when it comes to the Canada Pension Plan (CPP). That is why I am extremely disappointed with the complete disregard from Minister Freeland to speak about the carbon tax crisis created by this federal government last week, when they chose to announce their unfair treatment of Canadians across the country… On the call, I expressed my frustration with the federal government's attempt to distract Canadians by inflating the false sense of urgency of this topic, which could take a decade or more to conclude. “
In the legislature, Opposition Leader Carla Beck had been on the attack over Saskatchewan’s position on the CPP. She raised the issue once again Monday as recorded in Hansard.
Ms. Beck: — “… Now, Mr. Speaker, last week we pushed this tired and out-of-touch government to stand up to Danielle Smith and protect the CPP [Canada Pension Plan]. You’ll recall that the Premier couldn’t find his feet and the Finance minister was, well, she was anything but clear.
“So will the Finance minister use her voice today, stand up for Saskatchewan, and say clearly, we’re all better off with Alberta in the CPP?”
Instead of hearing from Harpauer, it was Trade and Export Development Minister Jeremy Harrison who stood to respond, and he proceeded to rip apart the opposition over a call Beck had made the previous week to the federal NDP to express concerns about the carbon tax.
Hon. Mr. J. Harrison: — “… And what do we see from the NDP? Running down the economy, running down job creators, running down companies, and talk about standing up to leaders, Mr. Speaker. This is a leader of the opposition that literally can’t get her call answered by her federal leader, Jagmeet Singh. He literally would not take her call, Mr. Speaker. She said on the floor of the Assembly she called the office. Everybody assumed, well, she talked to Jagmeet Singh. No, she did not. Under questioning from the media it came out she didn’t even reach him.”
Ms. Beck: — “Well, Mr. Speaker, I’m sure that seniors in this province who are worried about their CPP are very impressed by that second-worst-in-the-country jobs minister. But Mr. Speaker, when the Finance minister talks about this issue — that is, when she can find her feet — she waves her hands as if it’s no big deal. Mr. Speaker, there’s nothing further from the truth.”
It was at this point that Harpauer joined the debate and she made it known that she thought the focus on the Canada Pension Plan was a distraction planted by the federal Liberals.
Hon. Ms. Harpauer: — “Mr. Speaker, I was very clear. We think the CPP is a good plan for all Canadians, quite frankly, except Quebec, which isn’t in CPP by the way.
“What we were trying to say is that this is a cover for the federal government. They want to make this a huge, urgent issue when it will be a decade or more in the making, and Minister Freeland even admitted to that on the FPT [federal-provincial-territorial] phone call. She said, they will look at the actuarials. There’s going to be a number of agreements. It probably will end up in court.
“Alberta hasn’t even applied to be withdrawn from CPP. The issue was raised in 2001, quite frankly, in Alberta. A referendum was said by their previous premier; this has been years in the making. But you know what’s urgent, Mr. Speaker? What’s urgent is the fact that there is division being drawn by the federal government in this country over the carbon tax where some are exempted and we are not, Mr. Speaker. That’s urgent. Is it important on CPP? Absolutely. Is it urgent? Is it going to matter any more in the winter months? Carbon tax will.”
Ms. Beck: — “Leaders, their counterparts in other provinces, can walk and chew gum. This is important.
Mr. Speaker, the CPP is one of the only things that seniors can count on to help with the rising cost of living. If Alberta pulls out of the CPP, that’s going to mean higher premiums and lower pension payments. Mr. Speaker, those are the facts. Now before we put this on the minister’s radar last week, did she do anything at all to raise these concerns with Alberta’s premier? And has she done her homework? Does she know the potential impact to seniors living in Saskatchewan?”
Hon. Ms. Harpauer: — “… You know what? The federal government needs something to change the dial, to change the tension. And you know who took the bait? You know who took the bait? Those members opposite took the bait immediately.
“They want to change the dial. What is more pressing and urgent to affordability today, today, Mr. Speaker, is the carbon tax on heating fuel. Where are they at?”
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