Moe and Higgs have shown steadfast courage in opposing many of the federal Liberal government’s bad policies that are hurting Canadians and our national economy and have achieved success in doing so. Pictured: (left to right) Mark Borkowski, Premier Blaine Highs, Christine Van Geyn, Premier Scott Moe, Catherine Swift & Jocelyn Bamford. Photo Supplied
On Wednesday evening this week, the Coalition of Concerned Manufacturers and Businesses of Canada (CCMBC), of which this author is President, held its fifth annual Gala dinner. The special guests this year were the Premier of Saskatchewan Scott Moe and New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs. Both Premiers were awarded the highest honour of the CCMBC, the Game Changer of the Year Award. Both Moe and Higgs have shown steadfast courage in opposing many of the federal Liberal government’s bad policies that are hurting Canadians and our national economy and have achieved success in doing so.
In New Brunswick, Higgs was the first Canadian politician to stand up for parental rights in the public education system and forbid teachers from keeping information from parents such as their child’s desire to use different pronouns or express interest in a different gender identity. Higgs has managed to achieve six consecutive balanced budgets, demonstrating to other jurisdictions that this can be done, even as it turns out that budgets don’t balance themselves. He has also been a very vocal opponent of the carbon tax and other destructive so-called climate policies of the federal government.
Higgs has also criticized the federal equalization payments system for discouraging economic development in the so-called “have not” provinces. Typically, provinces that receive such payments are happy to do so and don’t question the arrangement. But Higgs is absolutely correct to do so, as equalization transfers from some provinces to others are really a form of welfare, and provinces on the receiving end tend to get caught in a “welfare trap,” in which they do not implement policies to grow their economy because of concern they will lose their transfer payments. In policy discussions at the Gala, Higgs noted that New Brunswick sits on many billions of cubic feet of natural gas and it would be immensely foolish not to develop this resource for the benefit of the province and other countries around the world who could reduce their carbon emissions by using clean Canadian natural gas instead of polluting energy sources such as coal. Previous Liberal governments in New Brunswick deliberately did not develop these resources, in part because they would lose their equalization payments.
Moe has also been a staunch supporter of parental rights, forbidding groups who were promoting sexualized materials to young students from making presentations in classrooms and ensuring parents were not excluded from important information about their children. Moe has also taken very principled stands against the federal government on a number of climate-related issues, legally challenging federal policies such as the Impact Assessment Act (the so-called No More Pipelines Bill) along with Alberta, which they won in the Supreme Court of Canada. Moe has also refused to pay the province’s portion of the carbon tax and stated if the federal government decided the Atlantic provinces were not required to pay carbon tax on their heating oil, neither should anyone else in Canada pay carbon tax on their heating source. When federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault said he could jail Moe for such an infraction, Moe responded “Come and get me.” Guilbeault has not attempted to do that as yet, and likely never will.
Discussions with both Premiers during our Gala were very interesting. Moe emphasized that Canada’s main problem at present is uncertainty. He noted that although investment has dropped significantly in Canada, with major negative impacts on our economy and standard of living, the awareness of Canada’s great potential remains high in the investment community. The Trudeau government, however, has created massive uncertainty with its knee-jerk policies such as the many restrictions on the energy, agriculture and resource industries, changes in the capital gains tax regime, high overall tax rates and the excessive growth in the size of unproductive government. Moe said that major investments were prepared to flow into Canada if only the uncertainty could be eliminated, which effectively means the ouster of the Trudeau government.
Another issue discussed which was of interest to both Premiers was the reality that so many resource and industrial projects which take place in Canada exclude our own small- and medium-sized businesses. There are private sector and government projects that only involve large corporations – often foreign-owned – and leave out perfectly capable smaller Canadian independent firms. One example is the large Kitimat LNG project in BC, in which most components were imported from China when there were Canadian companies capable of doing the work. Other countries are much more attentive to using their own domestic businesses for such activities than Canada, and we lose out on so many opportunities as a result.
Both Premiers face elections this fall. Moe won a landslide in the last Saskatchewan election in 2020, winning 51 seats to the NDP’s 10. This upcoming election will be Moe’s second as party leader and the opinion polls at this time suggest he will win another majority government. Higgs last won a majority government in 2020 as well. Polls indicate things could be a lot closer this time. Higgs has now been in power for two terms, and it is always challenging for any government to win a third term. Higgs’ position on parental rights in the public school system was controversial, even among some of his own caucus members, but public opinion polls showed the majority of the general public was on his side. The opposition Liberal party in New Brunswick has a relatively new leader in Susan Holt, party leader for about a year. Polls show a tight race is underway. Given their solid track records, both Premiers richly deserve to be re-elected.
Even though the federal government has a distinctly anti-business agenda that is badly damaging Canada and Canadians, many provincial premiers are showing leadership and implementing much better policies than their federal counterparts. Both Moe and Higgs made a case for the business community to express support for these Premiers and endorse the policies they were supporting, which makes a lot of sense. The CCMBC will be strongly supporting this approach and both provincial Premiers. In the face of a federal government that is driven by ideology and doesn’t listen to reason, a number of Canadian provinces have fortunately taken on a national leadership role with much more sensible priorities that will be more beneficial for the Canadian economy and our standard of living. Listening to these two practical, decent and humble politicians was a refreshing change from the elitist bafflegab coming out of Ottawa these days. All Canadians have a vested interest in Higgs and Moe being re-elected in their respective elections this fall. They deserve our support.
She has published numerous articles in journals, magazines & other media on issues such as free trade, finance, entrepreneurship & women business owners. Ms. Swift is a past President of the Empire Club of Canada, a former Director of the CD Howe Institute, the Canadian Youth Business Foundation, SOS Children’s Villages, past President of the International Small Business Congress and current Director of the Fraser Institute. She was cited in 2003 & 2012 as one of the most powerful women in Canada by the Women’s Executive Network & is a recipient of the Queen’s Silver & Gold Jubilee medals.
