Sask. farmers say they're fed up with America, but also the Liberal government
CBC
As punishing Chinese and American tariffs threaten Canada's exports, Sask. farmers expressed anger and frustration over what they called U.S. President Donald Trump's "stupidity."
But for all the vitriol they have toward the U.S. leader, they also showed disdain for former prime minister Justin Trudeau and his successor, Mark Carney.
"Everything is for the east," said Carl Jensen, who farms in Invermay, Sask., about 250 kilometres east of Saskatoon, during Canada's Farm Show last week.
CBC Saskatchewan spent a morning at the Farm Show in Regina as part of its national efforts to find out what matters to Canadians in this federal election campaign.
Jensen, along with other agricultural producers at the event, expressed bewilderment at the narrowing of polls that once showed a rock-solid Conservative majority.
"If the Liberals get in, I think, what's gonna happen here? Western Canada is going to separate."
Like many others at this farm show, the Jensens identify as Conservative Party supporters. Conservative MPs took all 14 Saskatchewan seats in the previous federal election.
"We've had so many years of Liberals and their policies that do not support Western Canada at all," said Carl's wife, Elsie Jensen. She voiced a commonly-expressed view at the show that Saskatchewan boasts natural resources and should have thriving energy and farm sectors, but haven't seen the benefit of those resources.
"We're carrying the country and they're punishing us."
Tariffs were top of mind for many of the farmers at the show. China recently introduced 100 per cent tariffs on Canadian canola oil and canola meal. That move is seen as a tit-for-tat measure in response to Canada's 100 per cent tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles. Meanwhile, America is poised to implement 25 per cent tariffs on all products — including canola — next month.
The Jensens also shared another commonly-expressed view at this Farm Show, that Canadian-imposed tariffs on China's EVs were meant to support an auto industry in the east at the cost of farmers in the west.
"The circumstances now are just going from bad to worse with Trump's policies, with China's response to Trudeau's stupidity," Elsie said.
"You have to play ball with the Chinese. We get everything from China," her husband added.
As angering as tariffs are, the couple and others at the farm show also expressed continued ire over the carbon tax, with the Jensens describing it as driving up the cost of everything, with the rebate not covering the tax's true costs.
