That was the final straw from Saskatchewan premier Scott Moe. He actually said that his province was also a “Nation within Canada.” He is obviously tired of being the last of the three stooges: Doug Ford of Ontario (Larry), Jason Kenney of Alberta (Curly) and with Moe trailing along. He desperately wants some recognition for Saskatchewan.
Politically, I would say that the province has done very well over the years. Leaders such as John George Diefenbaker and Tommy Douglas are a rare phenomenon. Moe is not. Like Ford and Kenney, he has done a disastrous job in trying to lead his province through the pandemic.
The way the province usually works lately is that Curly in Alberta gets an itch and it is Moe in Regina who scratches. It got so bad recently with the coronavirus that patients in distress in over-crowded Saskatchewan hospitals were being air evacuated to Ontario. Even Ford in Ontario has shut his mouth about what to do about the pandemic as he sets his sights on next June’s Ontario election.
That might be the only thing different in Saskatchewan. The Saskatchewan Party which Moe leads is supposed to be a combination of conservatives and right-wing liberals. Whether there are any left-wing or progressive liberals remaining in Saskatchewan is a matter of some concern.
The media assessment of Moe’s claims of nationhood is that he desperately needs a distraction away from his bad handling of the coronavirus. Other than that, the media seem convinced that Moe is just following Kenney. Kenney has his own problems with a likely run at his leadership before next year’s provincial election in Alberta.
What is considered the funniest comment from Moe is that he is considering booting the RCMP out of the provincial police task in Saskatchewan. With the RCMP training centre in Regina, changing the provincial policing could be far more expensive than he imagines.
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Copyright 2021 © Peter Lowry
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