Saskatchewan NDP leader Carla Beck says the provincial government needs to announce its own countermeasures in wake of American tariffs put in place by U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday.
Beck says that eight out of 10 provinces have already announced their own countermeasures to the sweeping 25 per cent tariff on Canadian goods, on top of Ottawa’s retaliatory tariffs.
One common counter measure taken by provinces was pulling all American liquor and beer off store shelves. Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who suggested Saskatchewan stop exporting potash, uranium and oil to the U.S., has threatened to tax or stop sending electricity to the U.S. all together.
Beck, says she has cleared her calendar and plans to spend her time checking back in with business leaders across the province, gathering feedback on current feelings from people who will be impacted.
“This is a scary time for people in Saskatchewan and there are going to be impacts,” she said. “What we need to be doing as provincial leaders is making sure that we have a plan for countermeasures, we’ve seen eight out of the 10 provinces already announce theirs, seven of 10 provincial governments pulling American liquor off the shelves, something that we should be doing here. I know Saskatchewan people need to hear from us,” Beck said.
On Tuesday via a statement on social media, Premier Scott Moe said Trump doesn’t realize how much the U.S. depends on Canadian imports.
Moe said that Saskatchewan is currently considering its response and added that cabinet would be meeting on Wednesday to weigh options. Moe ended his statement saying that further measurers in response to the tariffs would be announced in the near future but didn’t elaborate on what Saskatchewan might do.
Beck and the rest of the NDP has continuously called for an emergency recall of the legislature, which is currently scheduled to resume March 17.
“This is an all hands on deck moment and we can’t be caught flat footed,” she said.
Beck admitted she’s surprised that the provincial government hasn’t answered the NDP’s calls to recall the legislature early.
“I am. This is an extraordinary time, if anything in recent memory in our lifetimes has warranted an emergency session it has to be this.”
Beck reiterated the majority of other province’s have laid out detailed response plans.
“With the exception of two one of those being ours is already detailed plans laid out by those governments when it comes to countermeasures, when it comes to measures to protect those that are going to be most impacted that is what Saskatchewan people are hungry for, that plan, that leadership and for assurances that we are all going to work together and get through this.”
As for Trump, he has remained steadfast that the tariffs will benefit the U.S. and even said on Tuesday that any retaliatory tariffs announced in Canada would be matched by the U.S. That could lead to stacking tariffs on goods that are already under new levies.
However, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick says further announcements on tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump are expected later Wednesday, hinting that meeting “somewhere in the middle” is a likely outcome for adjusted import levies on Canada and Mexico.
-With files from Charlie Buckley
