Carney, premiers to gather for meetings in Saskatchewan in June

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OTTAWA — Canada’s premiers and Prime Minister Mark Carney will meet in person in Saskatchewan on June 1 and 2, says Ontario Premier Doug Ford.

Ford, who took part in a conference call with Carney and the other premiers Wednesday, said the premiers congratulated the prime minister on both his election victory and the “restraint” he showed during Tuesday’s meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump.

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“I don’t think I’d have the restraint that he had yesterday, to be very frank,” Ford said. “I think it’s a good start on a new relationship… I think everyone’s feeling relatively good on the meeting yesterday. So that’s a good start.”

Carney spoke with the premiers Wednesday afternoon to brief them on his first meeting with Trump.

That briefing also happened after Alberta Premier Danielle Smith publicly raised the spectre of her province separating from Canada.

Last week, Smith’s United Conservative government introduced legislation that, if passed, would sharply reduce the bar petitioners need to meet to trigger a provincial referendum.

Ford said Carney did “a really good job” of reaching out to the West and that he told the prime minister it’s time his government started “showing some love” to Saskatchewan and Alberta.

“The last prime minister showed no love,” Ford said. “So it’s nice that we’re heading out there to Saskatchewan for an FMM meeting.”

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Prime minister addresses separatist talk

When asked about Premier Smith’s referendum legislation during a press conference in Washington on Tuesday, Carney said Canada is stronger when the provinces work together.

“As an Albertan, I firmly believe that,” he said. “You can always ask a question, but I know what I would respond clearly.”

On Tuesday, Ford criticized talk of Alberta separating and said Canada must be united in its fight against the United States.

“This is a time to unite the country, not people saying, ‘Oh, I’m leaving the country,”‘ he said.

Asked Wednesday if any premiers on the conference call cautioned Smith about the timing of a referendum, given the talk of annexation coming from the White House, Ford said “no one brought that up” but the subject might come up in “a private conversation.”

Meanwhile, Saskatchewan’s official Opposition introduced a bill to make it tougher to trigger a referendum or plebiscite on the province separating from Canada.

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“This is a bill about protecting jobs, protecting investment and bringing stability back to our economy at a time of economic uncertainty, at a time when signals of stability are incredibly important,” said NDP Leader Carla Beck.

“A referendum on separation would drive jobs and investments out of Saskatchewan even if that referendum were to fail.”

— with files from Allison Jones in Toronto, and the Leader-Post’s Alec Salloum 

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