Listen to daily commentary from program director Murray Wood
Every Friday, Murray Wood takes a look at the week's news and decides who's hot and who's not. This week's list focuses ...
Brief shouts of “51st State!” and “People are being slaughtered in Palestine!” disrupted Liberal leader Mark Carney’s brief visit to Saskatoon Wednesday evening.
The Liberal leader arrived at the Remai Modern art museum and gallery for a “meet and greet” event, with a motorcade that included a bus, two SUV limousines and several other SUVs, escorted by Saskatoon Police.
He took the stage after Saskatchewan liberal candidates including Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River candidate Buckley Belanger, and Carney’s wife Diana Fox Carney introduced him.
“Look at this. We are in the Paris of the Prairies. Thank God. This is amazing… amazing to be back,” he told a crowd of what appeared to be several hundred supporters.
Carney also mentioned how he made a stop in Saskatoon in mid-Februrary before the federal election kicked off.
As he began speaking about a famous photograph of Winston Churchill in the pub, shouts rang out from the audience.
“Fifty-first state! Don’t listen to him!” shouted at least two individuals.
The disruptions were quickly met with boos from the crowd.
“That’s misguided,” Carney said. “We value diversity in this country, unlike the United States of America.”
As he began his speech again, he told the crowd the U.S. wanted Canada’s water, land and resources.
“They want us to be the 51st state. They want to break us so they can own us,” he continued.
Hundreds of supporters filled the Remai Modern art museum and gallery in Saskatoon on Wednesday. (Lara Fominoff/650 CKOM)
A short time later, several Palestinian protesters once again disrupted the event, but were quickly drowned out by crowd cheers.
“What we do in this country is we’re going to fight, we’re going to protect, and we’re going to build,” explained Carney.
Saying Americans understand money and lawyers — the Liberal leader talked about putting counter tariffs on the U.S., protecting Canadian workers, and building new trade partnerships with Asia, Australia and Europe.
“Think of the steel workers here in Saskatchewan, the auto workers in Ontario, the farmers and fishers, the potash workers… some would take the money from the tariffs and they want to cut taxes…we’re taking every dollar from these tariffs and we’re giving it back to the workers who are most affected by them,” he said.
Mark Carney did not take questions from the media following his event in Saskatoon. (Lara Fominoff/650 CKOM)
He also again touched on campaign promises he’s previously announced, including building millions of homes, making Canada an “energy super power” in oil, gas, and clean energy in partnership with Indigenous peoples and the provinces, while also creating more educational opportunities and careers for those who want to work in the trades.
Carney did not mention canola farmers or the tariffs China has imposed on some canola products, pork, or seafood. Nor did he take questions from the media, leaving the event moments after his speech.
