THE BATTLEFORDS — Rosemarie Falk, (MP for Battlefords-Lloydminster) has taken aim at the federal Liberal government in a recent chamber of commerce event in North Battleford aimed at hearing what locally elected officials thought about issues facing the community.
"I think honestly when we have red tape ... oh man, if I was given scissors? The red tape that I would cut in every department," she said.
Areas she would like to see use more plain language include federal grant processes and the tax code.
"Making Canadians have the ability to access services easier ... disability benefits for example, the amount of paperwork, complicated language [and] complex processes that somebody with a person has to go through in order to prove they have a disability. Why? Why?
"If I had my way, we would have everything rebuilt. Because it's a mess," she said, adding that now government is often doing Bandaid solutions to bigger issues.
But other officials, including Mayor Ames Leslie, took it a step further when he said he'd ditch the entire federal government if he had his way.
"I think we can get rid of the federal government," he said.
"They say they're fighting for the middle class and making things cheaper for Canadians but it has gotten more expensive for everybody in this country," he added.
"My daughter is 19 years old and she's heading to university and she's just got a T-5 from the government because she's got to much god***m money in her bank account."
He wonders how the youth of today can get better.
"We don't need them ... let the provinces go back to running this country."
"I disagree," Falk said, quickly responding to Leslie's concerns.
She said that there are things that require the federal government like border security, airspace, and controlling ports, but that the liberals are often overstepping into provincial jurisdiction.
"It is imperative that different levels of government stay in their lane," she added.
"We have a federal government that is hellbent, fricking hellbent on making sure that they go into areas that really are the province's areas."
Affordability and the carbon tax
One piece that Mayor Leslie and North Battleford Mayor David Gillan and the Sask. Party MLA, Jeremy Cockrill, also on the event’s panel; and the Progressive Conservative MP agreed on was that they felt the carbon tax was adversely affecting affordability across the board.
Later addressing a concern that enough isn't being done to address affordability, as the carbon tax is set to increase along with the excise tax, Falk said, "And I just want to make a note that when I take my [MP] hat off and I put my Saskatchewanian hat on, I am so proud of the provincial leadership that we have in our province."
She says she's been against the carbon tax since before she was elected.
"And do have our provinces in our corner ... and actually speaking into action, I am so appreciative.
"I hope words are kept and if the Liberal government wants to go after the province of Saskatchewan I sure hope Scott Moe stands his ground."
She says, that without that tax, every single person will feel a difference.
"As it's been said the carbon tax touches every single supply chain step. Could you imagine if we didn't pay that? And if we knew what the Liberals were doing with that money? Anyway."
Minister Jeremy Cockrill [MLA for The Battlefords] also threw his support behind his government's battle with the federal government over the carbon tax.
"We'd love to expand [not charging Sask. Power customers for the carbon tax on home heating] but what the federal government did for Atlantic Canada on home heating we're just doing for Saskatchewan people.
"So certainly we are looking at other ways on how we can provide relief for Saskatchewan people."
