REGINA - Opposition Leader Carla Beck attended the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) event in Regina on Tuesday to make her message clear that she wants to protect the agriculture sector.
When speaking to reporters, Beck acknowledged "the vital role that agriculture plays in our province to our economy when it comes to jobs, but also the fabric, the very way of life that we have in Saskatchewan and our commitment to continuing to value and work towards our common interests as I noted today."
Many agricultural workers have raised concerns to Beck recently about the proposed 25 per cent tariffs U.S. presidential-elect Donald Trump would impose on goods coming from Canada to the U.S.
She talked about how it is "important that we [the politicians in Canada need to] have a unified approach to this, that we work those relationships on both sides of the border, whether that's an industry, whether that's state governments, provincial governments, to present that thoughtful, clear-headed, strong and unified approach, something that APAS is known for."
Sask. Premier Scott Moe has said he would fight the tariffs and talk to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about increasing border security between the U.S. and Canada.
Beck was asked if she feels the Sask. government can do more to address the issue. She said, "we all need to be moving in the same direction. There's a time for division. There's a time for lighting things up, and this is a time, as I said, for heads, for effective actions and for everyone to be holding the same position to effectively fight back."
If the tariffs were implemented, Beck feels it would be devastating for people in Sask. and Canada.
While Beck isn’t sure about the number of jobs that would be lost from it, she mentioned how "billions and billions of dollars of impact potentially wiping out livelihoods, potentially wiping out businesses on both sides of the border and of course increasing costs for consumers." Last year, Sask. alone exported $27 billion worth of goods to the U.S.
After attending the APAS meeting today, Beck feels this is an example of what more politicians need to do regarding getting input from workers when it comes to dealing with challenges in their sectors. She feels "often decisions are made in small rooms whether that's here in Ottawa or it's here in Regina without the necessary input from those who really are the experts. Those who are on the front lines."
Beck wants everyone in Sask. to be able to continue building on their hard work and success in the coming years.
