Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall signals growing frustration with Ontario, Quebec
Canada’s longest serving premier isn’t happy. Not one bit. And Brad Wall is letting some of his colleagues know it before he arrives in St. John’s for the annual meeting of the country’s provincial and territorial leaders.
Wall told reporters in his home province of Saskatchewan that Ontario and Quebec should get out of the way of proposals to build or convert pipelines to carry oil from west to east.
And he said it’s high time Central Canada stops treating this country’s oil industry as some kind of environmental liability, rather than as an economic benefit that’s being shared, via transfer payments, with the entire country.
“We’ve been contributing mightily to equalization, and I just don’t think this kind of talk is welcome, frankly,” Wall said Wednesday.
But Wall wasn’t done. Far from it. On he went about the billions of dollars shared by wealthy, oil-producing provinces such as Saskatchewan, with the so-called have-not provinces such as, ahem, the aforementioned Ontario and Quebec.
“Maybe we should send equalization payments through a pipeline to get one approved in Central Canada.”
It’s the kind of internal conflict that rarely disrupts the carefully crafted united front premiers try to present at their annual meetings. Premiers normally prefer to cast the federal government as the villain.
Premier Wall, meet Premier Wynne
But this isn’t some, forgive the pun, off-the-wall broadside.
Saskatchewan is an oil-producing province, already struggling with the effects of sustained low prices. It’s also struggling with few options to move that oil.
Premier Kathleen Wynne has been pushing on the green agenda, which could bring her into conflict with the oil-producing provinces. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press)
Ontario’s Kathleen Wynne wasn’t responding to questions Wednesday at a reception welcoming premiers to St. John’s. But she indicated she’ll have plenty to say today when premiers hold their first session in the Hotel Newfoundland, overlooking St. John’s historic harbour.
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