PATIENCE AT AN END
Moe glad as PM talks tough on blockades
SASKATOON Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe welcomes resolute language from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to remove rail blockades stemming from a pipeline dispute with a First Nation in British Columbia.
Moe met with reporters in Saskatoon Friday afternoon, shortly after Trudeau appeared at a news conference to say the patience of the federal government and Canadians had evaporated.
Moe offered supportive and grateful words for Trudeau, whose Liberal government has been a frequent target for Moe’s Saskatchewan Party government.
Trudeau and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland spoke with the premiers Thursday night about the rail blockades that began in support of hereditary chiefs of the Wet’suwet’en First Nation, who oppose a gas pipeline project in B.C.
“The prime minister has most certainly strengthened his resolve in addressing what is becoming a very urgent situation,” Moe said. “As we said and the prime minister acknowledged today is that Canadians have been very patient through the course of the last couple of weeks.”
Other protests have sprang up in Canada in support of the Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs. Moe said that even though there have been no ongoing blockades in Saskatchewan, the province exports about $2 billion worth of goods a month by train.
Moe said he’s travelled throughout the province this week and talked to people in each community affected by the blockades.
“Virtually all businesses” are affected by the protests, he added.
Moe spoke in support of ongoing dialogue with those behind the “illegal blockades,” but added it’s time to let police enforce the law, particularly where injunctions have been issued.
“Where the prime minister indicated the Government of Canada is today, we have been there for some time in the province of Saskatchewan,” he said. “We have always believed that the laws and the court injunctions should be enforced.”
Moe declined to speculate on whether police would start making arrests soon and said he was not concerned about the lack of a deadline to remove blockades.
He pointed out the federal government has offered to discuss the issues involved in the dispute.
“I am not concerned with respect to the law being enforced in this country,” Moe said. “The offer (for dialogue) is there. I commend the prime minister for providing the offer and it very much reflects the conversation that we had as premiers with the prime minister last evening.”
Moe said it’s difficult to assess the financial damage done by the blockades, but he suggested they could hurt the reputation of Saskatchewan as a reliable export partner.
The blockades have added to the damage done by the Canadian National Rail strike in November, Moe said.
“I am hopeful,” Moe added. “I’m first of all hopeful that those involved will see that there is a path to having a dialogue with the federal government, but that path only lies if the barricades actually come down.”
Blockades have impeded rail traffic for more than two weeks in response to the B.C. pipeline dispute. Trudeau said Friday that calls for dialogue have been ignored.
(Trudeau) has most certainly strengthened his resolve in addressing what is becoming a very urgent situation.