Sask. farmers say they're fed up with America, but also the Liberal government

Janani Whitfield · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 25, 2025 7:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

As punishing Chinese and American tariffs endanger Canada's exports, Sask. farmers expressed choler and vexation implicit what they called U.S. President Donald Trump's "stupidity."

But for each the vitriol they person toward the U.S. leader, they besides showed disdain for former premier curate Justin Trudeau and his successor, Mark Carney.

"Everything is for the east," said Carl Jensen, who farms successful Invermay, Sask., astir 250 kilometres eastbound of Saskatoon, during Canada's Farm Show past week. 

CBC Saskatchewan spent a greeting astatine the Farm Show successful Regina arsenic portion of its nationalist efforts to find retired what matters to Canadians successful this national predetermination campaign.

• What contented matters the astir to you this national election, and why? Share your idiosyncratic stories with america at [email protected].

Jensen, on with different cultivation producers astatine the event, expressed bewilderment astatine the narrowing of polls that erstwhile showed a rock-solid Conservative majority.

"If the Liberals get in, I think, what's gonna hap here? Western Canada is going to separate."

Like galore others astatine this workplace show, the Jensens place arsenic Conservative Party supporters. Conservative MPs took each 14 Saskatchewan seats successful the erstwhile national election.

"We've had truthful galore years of Liberals and their policies that bash not enactment Western Canada astatine all," said Carl's wife, Elsie Jensen. She voiced a commonly-expressed presumption astatine the show that Saskatchewan boasts earthy resources and should person thriving vigor and workplace sectors, but haven't seen the payment of those resources.

"We're carrying the state and they're punishing us."

Tariffs causing stress

Tariffs were apical of caput for galore of the farmers astatine the show. China precocious introduced 100 per cent tariffs connected Canadian canola lipid and canola meal. That determination is seen arsenic a tit-for-tat measurement successful effect to Canada's 100 per cent tariffs connected Chinese-made electrical vehicles. Meanwhile, America is poised to instrumentality 25 per cent tariffs connected each products — including canola — adjacent month.

The Jensens also shared different commonly-expressed presumption astatine this Farm Show, that Canadian-imposed tariffs connected China's EVs were meant to enactment an car manufacture successful the eastbound astatine the outgo of farmers successful the west.

"The circumstances present are conscionable going from atrocious to worse with Trump's policies, with China's effect to Trudeau's stupidity," Elsie said.

"You person to play shot with the Chinese. We get everything from China," her hubby added.

As angering arsenic tariffs are, the mates and others astatine the farm amusement besides expressed continued ire implicit the c tax, with  the Jensens describing it arsenic driving up the outgo of everything, with the rebate not covering the tax's existent costs.

While Carney had signed a premier ministerial directive to kill the unpopular substance taxation arsenic of April 1, galore astatine the workplace amusement expressed heavy skepticism that helium would genuinely "axe the tax," arsenic Conservative Party person Pierre Pollievre has been calling for.

"Would you spot the Liberals? It's conscionable the ploy due to the fact that the predetermination has been announced. It's conscionable a ploy to get much votes," Carl said.

• Carney kills user c taxation successful archetypal determination arsenic premier minister

Former Sask. premier Brad Wall has besides spoken astir Carney's evident sidesplitting of the c tax, saying the premier curate volition "not get escaped of the c tax, but helium volition fell it," by creating a shadiness c terms connected Canadian business. Wall shared a Facebook station that noted reliable polls are present showing that Canadians whitethorn contradict the Conservatives a bulk successful the upcoming national election.

"How could Canadians adjacent flirt with specified a possibility?" helium asked successful the post.

Yvan Delorme, who runs a concern spraying crops, said farmers are the lifeblood of the province, providing enactment for radical similar him who beryllium connected the cultivation industry.

"[The national government] treats america similar third-rate citizens and we're not. We should really beryllium the apical of the nutrient chain," helium said, calling it an "understatement" to accidental radical successful Western Canada would beryllium aggravated if different Liberal enactment authorities was elected.

"Voting for getting different Liberal authorities is similar crapping your pants and changing your shirt," helium said with a wry laugh.

WATCH | Sask. voters respond to Prime Minister Mark Carney cancelling user c tax:

Western alienation not new

In a state wherever F--k Trudeau signs are a communal sight, animosity toward the Liberals has been astir for decades, said Daniel Westlake, an adjunct prof of governmental subject astatine the University of Saskatchewan.

But helium doesn't judge different Liberal triumph would bring the bubbling Western separatism to a boil.

"Part of this is due to the fact that the animosity toward the Liberals is not new, and successful the past, it has ne'er led to a superior menace of separatism," helium said.

While agrarian voters successful Saskatchewan whitethorn not consciousness similar the authorities represents their interests, westerners inactive thin to spot themselves arsenic Canadians first, helium said.

"I conscionable don't deliberation determination is the consciousness of chiseled individuality arsenic divorced from Canada that is indispensable to substance a superior separatist movement," helium said, noting that adjacent agrarian Western Canadians explicit themselves successful protestation by utilizing the Canadian flag.

"That suggests to maine that the radical expressing these views whitethorn not similar the absorption the existent authorities is taking Canada, but that they inactive spot themselves arsenic Canadian."

For now, with the national predetermination results inactive up successful the air, agrarian voters astatine Canada's Farm Show said they're trying to header with the accent of the unknown and hoping that the adjacent authorities volition beryllium capable to woody with Trump's volatility.

The Jensens anticipation their canola harvest could bring successful a cardinal dollars oregon more. Instead, tariffs could spot their profits wholly evaporate and unit them to look to Farm Credit Canada for assistance to effect adjacent year's crop.

• High costs putting farming retired of scope for young people, affecting each Canadians

"I deliberation Trump figures he's an illusionist, truthful he's distracting america by making america deliberation astir them portion helium shafts america immoderate different way," Elsie Jensen said, adding she's unsure what Canada's adjacent enactment volition bash for them.

"We're conscionable benignant of, 'Wait and see. Are you going to bash thing to assistance america out?' Because farming is what we bash successful Saskatchewan.

"It's conscionable a very, precise stressful concern to beryllium successful close now."