(Submitted photo/Leroy Laliberte)

By paNOW staff

No support for seperation

Laliberte and NDP call for Sask. Party to denounce separation talks

May 23, 2025 | 6:00 PM

Talks of Saskatchewan separating from Canada have been starting to make noise on social media in the province, and while Premier Scott Moe has never directly supported the movement, the fact that he has not outright denounced it publicly has raised concern from the opposition NDP.

MLA Leroy Laliberte represents the Athabasca constituency within the province, and he said that the amount of noise coming from separation talks is a major concern for his constituents.

“The constituents especially in Athabasca, people are worried when we talk about the loss that we would face when it comes to contracts, when it comes to work, we happen to be going through an economic crisis when it comes to these types of things. They feel that they’re not being listened to.”

Most of the noise is coming from a private group on Facebook called ‘Unified Grassroots’ which has a little over 14,000 members. The group headed by Nadine Ness has created a petition asking the province to “negotiate new terms for Saskatchewan’s relationship, whether inside Canada or as an independent nation.”

In a release issued earlier this year, the Saskatchewan NDP outlined a few connections between the Sask. Party and the separatist group, including helping both Martensville-Blairmore MLA Jamie Martens and Yorkton MLA David Chan to get elected to their positions, even claiming that Chan has been in the Unified Grassroots group for well over a year.

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Why this group seems to have the attention of the Sask. Party so much is something Laliberte doesn’t fully understand, but instead of listening to a group that wants to leave Canada, Laliberte thinks the Premier should spend more time listening to people who are proud to call this country home.

“The Sask. Party needs to spend more time listening to the First Nations people, the Indigenous community, and not the separatists of this Unified Grassroots group. According to a lot of the public statements, the separatist group Unified Grassroots has used its resources to help nominate several of the Sask. Party candidates who were later elected as MLA’s in the October provincial election,” Laliberte continued.

“The group’s leader, Nadine Ness has actually told one of the MLAs … from the Sask. Party, and she also claimed to personally encourage him to run for the nomination. Now this David Chan is also a member of the Unified Grassroots private Facebook group for approximately a year. Premier Moe needs to have these conversations with his caucus and denounce this group. It’s something that he hasn’t done or it doesn’t seem like he has any plans to do so.”

The Saskatchewan NDP has proposed the ‘Keep Saskatchewan in Canada Act’ in response to the petition, as well as in response to Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s proposed ‘Alberta Next’ panel that has lowered the threshold in Alberta for a vote to pass. The NDP’s proposed act will do the opposite, raising the threshold of votes needed on a petition to be tabled by the Saskatchewan government.

For Laliberte, the ‘Keep Saskatchewan in Canada Act’ keeps the province’s focus where it should be: on the people of Saskatchewan.

“I think the number one priority is to stay focused on what Saskatchewan is. We have a lot of great people here, we have a lot of hard working people that live in our province and throughout the province, right into the north, and if you see what’s happening in Alberta with Premier Danielle Smith tabling a bill that would lower that threshold for these petitions and a force separatism referendum, it’s almost like he’s playing the same cards here in our province and this is unacceptable.”

While Laliberte represents the Athabasca constituency, he also represents First Nations communities in the province as a member of the Metis Nation. Laliberte feels that the voices of the 74 First Nations in Saskatchewan are not being heard amongs the separation noise.

“It’s disrespectful in regards to it ignores the Nation treaties that were signed between the First Nations and the Crown. This is something that I’ve spoken about numerous times. It’s harmful and divisive for all, and I think that Premier Moe has had numerous opportunities to denounce this Unified Grassroots group and support what our leader Carla Beck’s been putting forward that keeps Saskatchewan in Canada. It raises the threshold for the petitions needed for a referendum, but especially on the separation. We’ve had a lot of conversations in regards to this, separating from Canada could destroy the provincial economy and this is something that again would have there been that kind of conversations regards to.”

While some may argue that separation from Canada is something that could bolster the province’s economy, Laliberte is one of the majority who see things differently. Not only would it put strain on the economy and further tax the healthcare system, it would open the province up towards annexation by the United States.

“We need to be able to support our province. We live in a great province, a beautiful province with hard workers. We live in a beautiful country and Saskatchewan will never become the 51st State. We need to be able to support our people here in all parts of our beautiful province of Saskatchewan.”