PM PHONES CLARK
Serious concerns recognized
SASKATOON Saskatoon’s mayor says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau seemed receptive to the fears felt by many living in Western Canada during a “constructive” phone call just over a week after the Liberals were wiped out in Saskatchewan and Alberta.
Mayor Charlie Clark said he told Trudeau about the sense of disconnection from Ottawa felt by many in the province’s natural resources and agricultural sectors, and emphasized the need for all levels of government to work together.
“There’s a lot at stake right now … It’s not a time for polite diplomacy,” Clark said of his Tuesday-morning call with Trudeau, who also spoke with Regina Mayor Michael Fougere, and has previously called the mayors of Edmonton and Calgary.
“He did seem to recognize that this is a key moment to be engaging and to be listening. He didn’t give me simplistic answers, which I was glad to hear, and identified that these are serious concerns,” Clark added.
He went on to say Trudeau should continue conversations with not only himself and Fougere, but other Saskatchewan mayors and First Nations leaders, all of whom understand the needs and concerns of their constituents.
“Our citizens are looking to leaders at all levels of government to work together to find those solutions,” Clark said, adding that he is not seeking a new formal relationship but merely more communication between all levels of government.
Fougere said he was “very clear” about many of the same concerns as Clark, including the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion project, and that Trudeau seems to realize there is “an issue” with representation in the West.
“I also emphasized the need for action, not just words. There’s been lots of talk for a long period of time and I think if he wants to allay concerns of people in Western Canada, that he act quickly on policies that will make a material change,” Fougere said.
Trudeau spokesperson Brook Simpson said the prime minister, Clark and Fougere discussed “issues on which the federal and municipal government could collaborate as well as how all orders of government can work together to build a stronger country.”
Simpson also indicated that the calls on Tuesday were “not a oneoff.” Asked about specific policies discussed on the call, Clark referred to the “core tensions” surrounding climate change plans and the economy, and said it’s important people “see the opportunities (and) not just the regulations” amid change.
“It’s something the federal government needs to pay close attention to,” he said.
Trudeau spoke with Clark and Fougere just over a week after voters left him with a minority government and the question of what to do about cabinet representation in Saskatchewan and Alberta — a potential problem given discontent across the West.
The prime minister told reporters last week he would reflect on how best to hear from western Canadian voices, but had not made any public commitment beyond pledging to speak with the mayors of the four largest cities in the two provinces.
Commentators have floated multiple ideas, including appointing a senator or the mayor of a major city to cabinet. Others, including Trudeau himself, have noted that not every cabinet in Canadian history has included people from every province.
The Saskatchewan government has indicated it has no problem with the prime minister speaking to municipal leaders like Clark and Fougere, but would oppose any formal arrangement between Ottawa and the cities to increase western representation.
This week, Premier Scott Moe — who has been outspoken on how the Liberals should address western issues while laying blame for divisions in Western Canada squarely at Ottawa’s feet — challenged Trudeau to an in-person meeting to continue discussions.
Jim Billington, Moe’s press secretary, said in an email that the premier’s office has been in touch with the prime minister’s office, but as of Tuesday morning no date and time for any meeting had been arranged. Moe was noncommittal when asked this week if he’d make concessions on his three demands — repeal the carbon tax, renegotiate equalization, build pipelines — to reach a compromise with Trudeau, but said there is “room for a real conversation.”