Moe to meet with Trudeau
November 11, 2019, 8:39 am
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe will be meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday in Ottawa.
Moe says the three Saskatchewan priorities he will be raising with the Prime Minister will be equalization, the carbon tax, and pipelines.
"In each case, we are proposing reasonable actions the Prime Minister can take that will show he is prepared to address the concerns of Saskatchewan people," says Moe. "I look forward to a productive meeting."
Moe raised the concerns with the Prime Minister the day after the federal election, and has followed up with two letters.
Moe has said he believes Saskatchewan needs a new deal with Ottawa, arguing that the federal election results—with no Liberals elected between Winnipeg and Vancouver—demonstrate that federal policies are not resonating with people in a large part of the country.
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney is also asking for a new deal with Ottawa, and is exploring the possibility of withdrawing Alberta from the Canada Pension Plan. That move would require no federal agreement or constitutional amendment—provinces are allowed to withdraw and operate their own independent pension plans, as Quebec already does.
Alberta receives less from CPP benefits per capita and pays in more per capita because of demographics--it has a lower average age, with more people of working age paying into CPP than other provinces and fewer people of retirement age drawing a pension.