Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks during a town hall at the Manitoba Building Trades Institute in Winnipeg, Wednesday, April 12, 2023. Trudeau is to visit a Regina grocery store and meet with families and employees to discuss the budget's grocery rebate. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods

By The Canadian Press

BUDGET TALKS

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau makes stop in Saskatchewan to promote Liberal budget

Apr 13, 2023 | 12:39 PM

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did not meet with Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe during a stop in the province today to sell the Liberal government’s new budget.

Trudeau visited a Regina grocery store and talked about the a grocery rebate and climate change initiatives in this year’s federal budget.

Trudeau says Moe’s office was notified in advance that the prime minister would be in Regina, but the two leaders weren’t able to meet because the premier was not in town.

The prime minister says he has had many conversations with Moe recently and has thanked the premier for his leadership, particularly in health care.

Trudeau also says his government would not be touching a law that gives control over natural resources to the four western provinces, even though his justice minister suggested last week he would look into the Natural Resources Transfer Agreement.

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Later in the day, Trudeau is to meet with students and other community members.

Moe’s office said the premier had wanted to discuss the natural resources agreement, clean electricity regulations and infrastructure funding with the prime minister.

Trudeau’s January stop in Saskatchewan caused conflict with the premier after Moe expressed disappointment he was not made aware of the prime minister’s visit to a rare earth elements processing plant in Saskatoon.

Saskatchewan is represented in Parliament by 14 MPs, all Conservatives.

The last Liberal MP in the province was Ralph Goodale, who was defeated in the 2019 election.

Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is also to be in Saskatchewan on Thursday.

He is to stop at the University of Saskatchewan College of Dentistry before he is scheduled to meet with Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark.