NO MOE MONEY: Saskatchewan Premier blasts Trudeau over equalization

In this letter, Moe laid out a list of demands that he expected Trudeau to follow. The most important of these was requesting that the Liberal government committed to reforming the equalization program, which he stated was grossly unfair.

Moe also demanded that Saskatchewan would require a one-time payment under the federal fiscal stabilization program so to reduce the inequality created by the federal government’s equalization program.

As well as criticizing the equalization program, Moe demanded that Saskatawan should be exempt from the carbon tax for a year, as the province already has an “aggressive plan in place to reduce carbon emissions.”

Moe’s letter to Trudeau was sent ten days ago and the prime minister’s evasion of these issues may be inflammatory in a province that has made its frustration of Trudeau clear. Western alienation has become a tangible threat to Canada’s unity, seen through Alberta, Saskatchewan, and northern British Columbia overwhelmingly voting in favour of the Conservative Party.

Depending on how Moe deals with Trudeau’s cold-shoulder, Western Canada may pose a serious challenge to the policies of Trudeau’s minority government.