Moe still needs to denounce separation, Wexit

We are still waiting for an unequivocal condemnation of western separation from Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe.

That means more than getting Trade and Export Development Minister Jeremy Harrison to say, “We are not in favour of separation. period.” It needs to come from the actual Saskatchewan premier, and — evidently — it’s going to have to be repeated to drive the message home.

Yet nearly three weeks after the federal election and Moe’s unproductive first salvo, in which he demanded that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau adopt everything he didn’t run on, the Saskatchewan premier still hasn’t provided one clear, unqualified and unequivocal condemnation of #wexit and separation talk. He needs to do so.

We all get the Trudeau/ Liberal arrogance as a source of frustration. But we clearly need to separate that from the separation talk.

If for no other reason, Moe needs to address this because the mere talk of separation is bad for our economy. We’re worried about losing Encana jobs to the U.S. because of Canada’s current unfavourable political environment? How do people think Wall Street reacts to separation talk?

Maybe Wexit — as led by Peter Downing and the remnants of the Christian Heritage Party — isn’t an immediate threat. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t capturing western grievances than can and are quickly manifesting into other bigger problems. And surely it isn’t just up to Trudeau to put out this fire, as Moe initially suggested. Why would the West even think Trudeau could douse this by himself? All politicians — and Moe especially — need to do their part.

Shouldn’t at least Andrew Scheer — whose political survival now depends on broadening his electability beyond Brandon, Man. — see the problem Wexit creates for his Conservatives? If Scheer’s Conservatives were threatened by Maxime Bernier’s People’s Party of Canada enough to hire political operatives to discredit them, shouldn’t they be worried about being tied to the sentiments of a registered federal western separation party?

That Moe, Scheer et al. can’t — or won’t — outright condemn western separation may be more scary than it is puzzling.

One reason might be because conservatives are legitimately fearful of this movement.

Some 200,000 members on Wexit’s Facebook group may not mean as much as the movement suggests, but it surely means something. Having ignited this western anger, politicians may not know what to do with it.

Admittedly, it is difficult for Moe because he would be condemning some old Sask. Party/reform/conservative types — one being former Sask. Party MLA Allan Kerpan — who are either directly or passively supporting Wexit and separation sentiments. So why wouldn’t Saskatchewan NDP Leader Ryan Meili help by demanding Moe condemn this movement? Or is the NDP also fearful of alienating those who feel alienated? Why is the NDP not at least calling for a 75-minute legislative debate condemning Wexit?

Maybe Moe et al. are stuck on the notion that separation talk is an effective strategy to pry more out of Ottawa.

The danger, however, is Eastern Canada — stupidly — isn’t really taking western alienation seriously. That may now be making it more difficult for Moe, who finds himself without any effective strategy to deal with a Liberal minority government. Right now, Moe can’t gear down on his Trudeau/carbon tax rhetoric long enough to civilly request Ottawa remove the carbon tax from natural gas used for grain drying.

But there’s one final, more sinister reason why Moe may not be outright condemning Wexit: Moe and others might also fear alienating those closely tied to the big business/oil/political money behind the Buffalo Project and the Westwatch billboards now taking credit for knocking off former Regina—wascana Liberal Ralph Goodale. Perhaps they don’t completely share Wexit’s goals, but they’ve surely shared anti-liberal sentiments.

After all, Downing’s Prairie Freedom Movement also targeted Goodale with similar billboards.

It may not be that first ripple of alienation/separation talk we should fear. It’s the troubling second wave.

That’s all the more reason why Moe needs to condemn it now before it causes any more damage.