MLAs say autonomy meetings aren’t about western separation

MLA Lyle Stewart says “unprecedented, unilateral action” on the part of the federal government is hurting Saskatchewan’s economy, and he wants to know what the people of the province want to do about it.

According to the Sask. Party MLA, that’s why he and former provincial and federal politician Alan Kerpan are holding meetings across the province to discuss Saskatchewan’s autonomy.

“We’re only trying to understand what the people of Saskatchewan think about this,” Stewart said. “We know they hate it, but what do they think we should do about it?”

Stewart said the provincial government has had zero luck negotiating with the current federal government as it takes actions that he says are hurting Saskatchewan. He pointed to policies like the carbon tax (a fight which Saskatchewan lost at the Supreme Court level), fertilizer emissions reductions, and clean fuel regulations as examples.

“Where does it end? And what kind of a provincial government would sit by and just watch it happen?” asked Stewart.

Justice Minister Bronwyn Eyre was at the meeting in her constituency in Saskatoon this week. On Thursday, she told John Gormley that the federal government keeps pushing further into Saskatchewan’s autonomy, particularly when it comes to natural resources.

“We have to do something. We have to do more. And we can’t buy into the narrative of providing the federal government what they need and the world needs, but allow them at the same time to cut us off economically at the knees again and again and again,” Eyre said.

Critics have pointed to the tens of millions of dollars in grants and funding the federal government has announced in Saskatchewan over the past couple of weeks, and argued that the autonomy meetings will stoke separatist sentiments.

Stewart said separation is not being discussed in the meetings.

“We are trying to make this country work. We’re trying to – if we need to – change the constitution,” he said.

“If we can negotiate something beside or parallel to the constitution, that would be great too. We’re just trying to make a place for Western Canada in this country. The way it’s set up now, there is no place.”

Kerpan, who has acted as a spokesperson for the “Wexit” movement, also joined Gormley Thursday morning, and said he’s not inclined toward western separation, but he does think the province needs to take back the power that it can without having to change the constitution.

“These meetings are about becoming stronger within confederation,” said Kerpan.

Stewart said Saskatchewan just wants the same rights and opportunities that Quebec has won for itself.

“We want to stop having to sue (the federal government) all the time,” Stewart said. “We sued them twice recently over these things, won one and lost one. It’s just not the way to go. That’s not the way a country’s supposed to work.”

There will be between 10 and 14 more meetings held across the province in the near future, hosted by Sask. Party constituency groups. Stewart and Kerpan said they will write a report on what comes out of the meetings, and present it to the premier and provincial government by the fall.

Stewart said it will be a guiding document.