Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said recently that he would not block a vote on the province separating from Canada, but reaffirmed his support for a united country.
In remarks to the legislature on May 1, Moe spoke in support of national unity in response to criticism from the Saskatchewan NDP.
“The NDP is presenting a false choice between separation and the status quo,” Moe said. “I’m not interested in separation, but I’m also not interested in the status quo of Saskatchewan being mistreated by the federal government, with the full support of the NDP.”
Under Saskatchewan’s Referendum and Plebiscite Act, citizens may initiate a plebiscite if a petition gathers signatures from at least 15 per cent of eligible voters.
“I’m a true Canadian,” Moe said earlier this week. “People are entitled to their opinions, and if they follow the rules set out in legislation, they have the right to be heard.”
No formal petition for separation has been launched, and Moe has not endorsed such a movement.
Prime Minister-elect Mark Carney spoke with Premier Moe yesterday in a call focused on breaking down inter-provincial trade barriers.
He emphasized that he would continue working on behalf of Saskatchewan to achieve the change voters called for in the last federal election.
Opposition NDP Leader Carla Beck called on Moe to categorically reject the idea of a separation vote, describing it as dangerous and unserious.
“Premier Moe should be ruling out a vote on separating from Canada,” Beck said. “Entertaining this idea is irresponsible and plays into the hands of Donald Trump, who has openly mused about annexing Canada.”
A recent Angus Reid Institute poll conducted before the election found that if the Liberals won, “approximately three-in-10 in Alberta (30 per cent) and Saskatchewan (33 per cent) say they would vote to leave the federation, whether to form their own country or to join the United States.” However, “the vast majority still say they would vote no in each province.”
In terms of perceived respect, the same poll found that “in both Alberta (24 per cent) and Saskatchewan (25 per cent) only one-quarter of residents feel their province is respected by the rest of the country,” compared to a national average of 52 per cent.
Angus Reid noted that “support for leaving Canada to become a separate nation rises five points in Alberta and 13 points in Saskatchewan” if the Liberals form the next government.
The Saskatchewan government has not proposed any new legislation related to referendums or sovereignty as of today.