‘That’s a lie:’ Moe calls federal minister’s comments on NRTA troubling

Premier Scott Moe is fired up after hearing comments from Federal Justice Minister David Lametti.

When he spoke with Indigenous leaders last week, Lametti said he’s committed to looking at rescinding the Natural Resources Transfer Agreements (NRTA). The NRTA dates back to the 1930s, and gives control of land and natural resources to Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

Moe told John Gormley on Tuesday that the federal government does not have the jurisdiction to unilaterally change the constitution.

“Where does that leave us? One, he either didn’t understand that, so he’s incompetent, or two, he’s actually being deceitful with the chiefs that asked the question by not providing them with the one and only answer he has available to him,” Moe said.

“I find this very disappointing. Any comments like that I find tremendously troubling.”

Lametti released a statement Monday saying he never committed to reviewing areas of provincial jurisdiction, which includes natural resources.

My statement on the recent AFN Special Chiefs Assembly and the Natural Resources Transfer Act: pic.twitter.com/tjPW2IXsIJ

— David Lametti (@DavidLametti) April 11, 2023

The premier said he’s in the process of getting in touch with the federal government for a response to better understand exactly what Lametti was trying to say.

Moe said Lametti’s statement isn’t true.

“That’s a lie. He did commit to looking into (areas of provincial jurisdiction) when he was asked about the NRTA,” Moe added.

“These are incredibly, incredibly divisive comments by our federal minister of justice.”

Moe questioned whether Lametti was trying to deceive Indigenous peoples or the provinces.

“It is impossible,” Moe said. “That’s the answer that should’ve been provided.”

Brian Hardlotte, grand chief of the Prince Albert Grand Council, and other chiefs have called for the NRTA to be rescinded.

Responding, Moe said that even though a walk towards reconciliation needs to happen in Saskatchewan, that doesn’t change the fact that Lametti gave incorrect information to the Indigenous leaders he spoke with.

“In Saskatchewan, the walk that we’re doing in ensuring that everyone is included in the growing economy we have is, I would say, unlike any other province.” Moe added. “We’ve transferred more TLE (Treaty Land Entitlement) land than any other province; about a million acres.”

Dwight Newman, Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Rights in Constitutional and International Law at the University of Saskatchewan, also spoke to Gormley on Tuesday. Newman called the comments made by Lametti surprising.

“I guess anyone can look at anything they want to, in a way, but to commit to look at it as if he could do anything about it isn’t a very candid reply to those questioning him,” Newman said.

“It’s sort of just seeking an easy way out of their question where he’s not really standing up for the constitution.”

Newman said he doesn’t quite know what’s going to come next in the political arena, but he understands the uproar.

“This is into the political arena, and I guess whether an apology is elicited or not is a political question in some ways,” he added.

“Premier Moe and Premier Danielle Smith in calling this out have drawn attention to it and said this is not a constitutionally appropriate indication by the federal government. What the federal government’s response to that (will be) remains to seen.”

In a joint statement issued Tuesday afternoon, Moe, along with Smith and Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson, called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to tell Canadians that Lametti was not speaking on behalf of the federal government when he made the comments.

“These agreements recognized that the prairie provinces have the same rights over resources that all of the other provinces already had. Those rights have been fundamental to the people and the economic autonomy of Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba for nearly 100 years,” the statement read.

“The federal government cannot unilaterally change the constitution. They should not even be considering stripping resource rights away from the three prairie provinces.

“The Prime Minister needs to immediately retract these dangerous and divisive comments by his Justice Minister.”

–With files from Shane Clausing.