Frustration was the main focus of a call between Mayor Michael Fougere and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Fougere spoke with Trudeau over the phone Tuesday morning to go over what has happened since the election last week and how municipalities are reacting.
The mayor said he discussed the blue wave across the province and Alberta, having no Liberal representation in the two provinces, the oil and gas sector and the Trans Mountain Pipeline. “I also urged him to speak soon with the Premier and engage that conversation with him about what are the next step to bridge that gap to ensure we have the right policies in place that respect the growth of Western Canada. We just had a good conversation in terms of that regard.”
Fougere said Trudeau did acknowledged that the election results clearly showed there has been a deficiency in his policies and approach. “He is steadfast of course on climate change, but in general he realizes that there is an issue certainly in the past, but in the future there is no Liberal MP in Alberta and Saskatchewan. That is a big concern and that’s why I expressed what do we do next and what is your solutions to make sure there is a voice.”
Fougere said the Prime Minister is thinking about his options to get a voice in government, but isn’t sure how that is going to happen at this point. He added that Trudeau is gathering thoughts from leaders across the prairies before making a decision.
When asked about the Premier’s call for a new deal with Western Canada to stop talks of separation, Fougere said he knows about the call, but wasn’t going to play mediator between the two offices. He added he just emphasized the frustrations and concerns he is hearing. “I spoke about issues of separation from Canada and said for me this is a non-starter and it really is an expression by people hoping there will be a change of government or a change in direction that is not going to happen. I also emphasized a need for action and not just words.”
Fougere suggested that Trudeau and Scott Moe talk about the call for a deal and come up with a compromise.
