The political landscape in Saskatchewan is undergoing a change, with the Saskatchewan Party electing Scott Moe as the new leader and premier on Saturday, and later this year the NDP will also choose a new leader for their party.
For the ruling party, the leadership vote marks the end of an era under Brad Wall, as he will retire from politics entirely, and Moe will be sworn this week in as the new premier of Saskatchewan along with his new cabinet.
Moe said there won’t be wholesale change in his administration, but there will be changes made in both elected and non-elected positions, which will be rolled out shortly as they begin putting together a budget for this spring.
It’s difficult to know at this point what sort of leadership Moe will bring to the Legislature, but he may have set the tone for relations with Ottawa somewhat by quoting Pierre Trudeau in his comments about opposing the federal carbon tax, which was a fight first championed by Wall. As Moe asked rhetorically how far he will take this fight, he said, “Watch me.”
Later with reporters, Moe said he did have a conversation with Pierre’s son Justin, as the prime minister extended congratulations for the leadership win, but there was no mention in their conversation about his challenge to Ottawa using the words of the elder Trudeau.
In terms of Saskatchewan’s contentious relations with Alberta, Moe conceded there may be philosophical differences with Premier Rachel Notley, but he did say there will also be points the two provinces will have agreement on, so it remains to be seen how that relationship will unfold.
Trade within Canada and internationally was a favourite topic of Moe’s in his campaign, as he proposed a new cabinet position to oversee trade, as well as proposing a Premier’s Council to deal with a number of issues, as Moe looks forward to improving the province’s position as an exporter to the world.
The first big job Moe faces, after choosing his new cabinet, will be setting the new budget, which affects every rural and urban municipality in the province, the health board and every school district. The economy is showing signs of recovering after a few years of slumping commodity prices, so Moe and his administration will need to consider that as they set the plan in place for the coming year.
One of Moe’s promises was to restore some funding to Education, so school divisions are anxiously awaiting word now if that will come to pass. Moe will have big shoes to fill, to be sure, but he now has the opportunity to make his mark. — Greg Nikkel
