REGINA – The Saskatchewan legislature has passed a motion calling for the removal of federal EV tariffs on China, but it did not go as planned for the opposition NDP.
An emergency motion from leader Carla Beck calling for removal of EV tariffs ended up heavily amended, and was essentially replaced by a Sask Party version of the motion in the Legislature Thursday.
The NDP version of the motion had called for Premier Scott Moe to “clearly and unequivocally call for the government of Canada to immediately remove its tariffs on electric vehicles from China to restore market access for canola, pea and pork producers in Saskatchewan.”
Instead, Minister of Trade and Export Development Warren Kaeding moved an amendment to take out that language. The new wording kept the call for “the government of Canada to immediately remove its tariffs on electric vehicles from China to restore market access for canola, pea and pork producers in Saskatchewan,” but added “that this assembly commends the Premier for the early and consistent leadership premier for consistent leadership is shown by calling on the federal government to remove its EV tariffs by being the first Canadian premier in six years to lead a trade admission to China, and by raising this issue with the Prime Minister and federal government on numerous occasions, including at a meeting with the Prime Minister and industry leaders immediately following the Premier‘s return from China.”
The amendment, and the main motion that followed with the new wording included, both passed with the Sask Party majority voting in favour. Both times, the NDP ended up voting against the new version of their own original motion.
Soon after the vote, on the X platform Moe put up a post with a caption claiming the NDP had “voted to keep EV tariffs.”
“Today in the Assembly, our government passed a motion calling on the federal government to immediately remove its tariffs on electric vehicles (EVs) from China to restore market access for canola, pea and pork producers in Saskatchewan,” Moe stated. “The lost and reckless NDP voted against it.”
In speaking to reporters following the vote, Beck made it known it was that portion of the amendment praising the efforts of Premier Moe that her party took issue with.
“What we saw the government members do was bring in a self-congratulatory motion,” said Beck, who referred to a comment from fellow MLA Trent Wotherspoon that the amendment was about “fluffing the feathers” of the Premier.
Beck believed her original motion had a clear message.
“Look, there is nothing that is nuanced about the situation that canola producers, processors, exporters are in in this province right now. Those who are facing declining pea prices in this province. This is urgent. It's not time for partisan games. It's time for a clear message.”
The NDP had brought the emergency motion looking to keep up the pressure on the government for what they characterized as Premier Moe’s “flip-flops” and an unclear stance on whether to remove EV tariffs. They had previously roasted Moe over recent media comments when he said it was “not a simple fix” to remove the canola tariffs.
When asked about those earlier statements by reporters Thursday, Premier Moe said “it isn't easy, but it's necessary. It's necessary.”
Moe reiterated to reporters that it has been Saskatchewan's position from day one that “the easiest path for us is to remove the EV tariffs. And we've asked the federal government to do that so that tariffs could be removed from Saskatchewan canola, as well as pulse crops, pork, and seafood.”
He adds that as that occurs, “we need to be at the table with the Chinese government, negotiating not only our current market access, but possibly negotiating additional market access, as we are going to produce more products, more canola oil, meal, into the future.”
Moe also said they need to ensure they are working “alongside and in lockstep” at the negotiating table with the United States of America, “because that still is our largest trading partner.”
“And so we're engaging with multiple nations at the same time. We are supporting the federal government in that engagement, utilizing our trade offices in China, our connections in the United States of America, as well as our trade offices in other areas of the world as well, which have proven to be an integral part of relationship building on behalf of industries that are exporting to over 160 countries from this province around the world.”
Moe also posed two questions to the NDP that he thought Saskatchewan people and the media should be asking.
“One is, why did you campaign in the most recent election on closing down those international trade offices that the province has? Why? Understanding the effectiveness of those offices, their ability to procure meetings that not even the embassy and the ambassador in China have been able to procure to this time. And so we're supporting the embassy and the ambassador in advancing and bringing forward those trade-related conversations.
“The second question is, why did it take you seven months to stand up for Saskatchewan agricultural producers and the 200,000 Canadians that work in the canola industry? So those are fair questions, and I hope to hear the answer at some point in time.”
In response, Beck called out Moe for mischaracterizing her party’s stance on trade offices. “It's BS,” said Beck.
“What we have said time and time again, we understand how important, as a province that exports billions and billions of dollars of goods, products, that international trade is incredibly important to this province. Perhaps disproportionately so when we look at other provinces. What we have talked about is ensuring that when we have trade offices, that we are getting best value for those trade offices, and that this isn't an opportunity for ministers to drive around Paris in Mercedes and sightsee. That was the criticism. I know the government likes to suggest otherwise. I know what we campaigned on.”
