Does Premier Scott Moe see your social media comments? A party insider gives her insights
When Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe congratulated Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney on winning the most recent federal election, disgruntled comments over another Liberal win swiftly began rolling in on social media.
"Time to separate."
"Independence or 51st State is the only option left for us."
"The anger in the west is real."
Just how much attention are politicians paying to social media commentators and their viewpoints — and should that shape their policies? Moe's former chief-of-staff Shannon Andrews joined the latest episode of CBC's This Is Saskatchewan' s podcast to dig into that question and shed light on how politicians like Moe use social media as a tool themselves.
The premier himself does have a small team managing his social media, according to Andrews, who now works with Upstream Strategy Group as a consultant. But she said Moe does have a lot of input over what's posted under his name.
"He views all of his posts prior to them going out," she said, adding he's also attuned to great community stories and shouting out Saskatchewan successes.
But if people are thinking that elected officials may see what they post in the comments section, she said they shouldn't hold their breath.
"He's also very busy, as most elected folks are. They don't have time to be sitting around on any of the platforms combing through all the comments."
There's also a need to take these online comments with a grain of salt, she said, noting social media is "loud," compared to conversations in the constituency office or on coffee row.
"You can't always verify who the source is, who it is that is making the post. And so in that respect, you have to kind of balance it off.… Sometimes you don't even know if they're coming from a person who lives in the province."
Some people, including the Official Opposition, have said the premier should speak out loudly against western separatist sentiments.
Regina Leader-Post political columnist Murray Mandryk said on This is Saskatchewan's Political Panel that entertaining this kind of sentiment does nothing to grow Moe's voter base.
"He needs to build support in that middle area, urban Saskatchewan," Mandryk said, adding that he feels Moe has been too cagey in scrums when asked about separatist fervour.
"His inability just to simply say, 'Yeah, I condemn those trying to break up my country,' that's an easy thing for a premier to say. He wouldn't say it."
So why isn't Moe more forceful in his comments? For Andrews, it's a matter of recognizing the level of anger there is in Western Canada over the federal government's handling of provincial jurisdiction and resource-driven economies.
"I think that sometimes the word separation gets chucked into this discussion and I don't want to see it downplay the real concerns and frustration that Western Canadians have," she said.
"They want to be a part of Canada, but they need to feel valued to feel that they're a part of Canada."
Andrews said she believes Moe's measured tone over the election of Prime Minister Mark Carney is genuine.
"As much as this might be hard to believe after this past decade — and to be sure, there were many, many difficult moments with the Liberal government and with former prime minister [Justin] Trudeau — I think he's sincere in this effort," she said.
At the same time, Andrews said people can expect Moe to continue his pattern of speaking out against federal government actions that hurt Saskatchewan interests.
Social media might be an easy way for voters to express their anger or kudos for politicians, but Andrews said that at the end of the day, a good old-fashioned phone call, email or visit to an MLA's office is the best way to connect with them.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
32 minutes ago
- CTV News
Voters go the polls in three Alberta byelections
Voters will head to the polls in three byelections in Alberta Monday, including a central Alberta riding where a separatist party is expected to make a show of support. (File) Albertans will cast their ballots in three byelections Monday. The three races are in Edmonton-Ellerslie, Edmonton-Strathcona and Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills; the only seat up for grabs outside the capital region. Located in rural central Alberta, it's where the separatist Republican Party of Alberta is aiming to capitalize on discontent with Ottawa. Republican leader, Cameron Davies has been campaigning in Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills against the UCP's Tara Sawyer, the NDP's Bev Toews and Bill Tuft of the Wildrose Loyalty Coalition. The seat became vacant after former legislature speaker and long-time UCP member of the legislature Nathan Cooper resigned to take a post as Alberta's representative in Washington, D.C. Experts say while the Republican Party is expected to take some votes from UCP, the chance of them winning the seat is low. 'That's a strong conservative riding, I don't see them taking that seat, but they are driving conversation,' says Tom Vernon, senior consultant at Crestview Strategy. 'How does the broader conservative coalition handle that conversation, what does it mean not necessarily in this byelection but in the next general election as well. Are they going to build up a base of support big enough to take votes away from the UCP to cause them trouble on the right,' adds Vernon. Alberta NDP leader Naheed Nenshi is running in Edmonton-Strathcona, where his predecessor Rachel Notley last won 80 per cent of the vote. Also vying for the Edmonton-Strathcona seat are UCP candidate Darby Crouch, Republican Ravina Chand, Samuel Petrov of the Alberta Party, Liberal Don Slater and Wildrose Loyalty Coalition candidate Jesse Stretch. Further south in Edmonton-Ellerslie, NDP candidate Gurtej Singh Brar could solidify the opposition party's hold on the city, but United Conservative Party candidate Naresh Bhardwaj is hoping to make an inroad. Candidates in Edmonton-Ellerslie include Caroline Currie of the Alberta Party, Pamela Henson from the Wildrose Loyalty Coalition, Fred Munn of the Republican Party and Liberal Manpreet Tiwana. The south-Edmonton riding had been represented by Rod Loyola under the NDP banner until he resigned to run in the federal election. Polls open Monday at 9 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Voters can find polling information at With files from The Canadian Press
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Quebec teachers' federation calls for Bernard Drainville to step down as education minister
Quebec imposed a hiring freeze in the public education sector as of Nov. 1 due to its tight financial situation. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press) The Fédération autonome de l'enseignement (FAE) is demanding that Quebec Education Minister Bernard Drainville step down, calling the $570 million cuts in education 'the last straw.' 'This is the worst end of year we could have imagined,' said FAE President Mélanie Hubert. 'We are only just beginning to grasp the scale of the cuts, the consequences of which are already proving disastrous for students, young people and adults, as well as for public schools.' She argues the FAE no longer believes Drainville is fit to lead the education ministry, calling the cuts 'improvised, incidental and pointless' and an 'attack on the teaching profession.' 'Despite repeated warnings from everyone working in education, he persisted in centralizing management that is out of touch with educational issues,' the FAE stated in a press release issued Monday, pointing out that there is a 'glaring shortage of staff, difficult working conditions and crumbling buildings.' Additionally, it adds that one in three students lives with learning difficulties, and schools are increasingly welcoming a growing number of allophones. 'The most precious thing about Quebec, and what the [François] Legault government must invest in, is not motorways and battery factories. It's our children and their future,' said Hubert. 'Minister Drainville's credibility has been tarnished, and it's time for Premier François Legault to appoint someone who listens to and respects the education community.' The federation insists the public school network is already in crisis and is accusing Drainville of slashing more than $1 billion in the sector, imposing a debilitating hiring freeze, allowing people to obtain a teaching licence without having ever taken a course and dismantling francization services for adult education. The federation also criticizes the Quebec government for centralizing power, 'undermining several fundamental rights of teachers,' duplicating existing mechanisms and adding a layer of bureaucracy, 'instead of listening to the players on the ground.' The FAE insists that it will spend the summer documenting each cut 'to paint a true picture when the summer holidays return,' as the full scope of how the sector could be affected may not be seen until the start of the new school year. 'Teachers, students and their parents will spend the summer worrying and wondering what services they will have access to next year,' she said. 'The minister has admitted that there could be a breakdown in services, which is indecent and inexplicable.'
Canada News.Net
an hour ago
- Canada News.Net
"Canadians need to know that the bomb was placed in Canada": Canadian diplomat Bob Rae on Kanishka bombing
Dublin [Ireland], June 23 (ANI): On the 40th anniversary of the Kanishka bombing, Bob Rae, Canada's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, reflected on the painful legacy of the terror attack that killed 329 people aboard Air India Flight 182. Speaking from Cork, Ireland, where the plane's wreckage was recovered after being blown up mid-air on June 23, 1985, by the Canada-based Khalistani terrorist group Babbar Khalsa, Rae urged Canadians to acknowledge the truth behind the incident. '...Canadians need to be aware and know that what happened happened because people living in our country planned and plotted the placing of a bomb and the explosion of that bomb,' Rae said. 'As a Canadian, I feel so strongly that this act of terror must be etched deeply into the texture of the history of our country... It was not something that happened elsewhere; it was not something that was planned in another place; it was planned in our midst,' he added. Rae also praised Ireland's continued support for the victims' families. 'And finally, the lesson that we can learn is to appreciate the strength of the love that we share for each other, the generosity and the welcome that the people of Ireland have shown us over the last 40 years have been extraordinary....,' Canada's Permanent Representative to the UN said. India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar paid tribute as well, calling the bombing 'one of the worst acts of terrorism.' 'On the 40th anniversary of Air India 182 'Kanishka' bombing, we honour the memory of the 329 lives lost in one of the worst acts of terrorism. A stark reminder of why the world must show zero tolerance towards terrorism and violent extremism,' he said in a post on X. Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin, and Canadian Minister of Public Safety Gary Anandasangaree laid wreaths at the Ahakista Memorial in Cork, along with a delegation of Indian leaders. On June 23, 1985, Air India Flight 182 was blown up by the Canada-based Khalistani terrorist group Babbar Khalsa near Cork, resulting in the deaths of all 329 passengers on board. During the event, Mayor of the County of Cork, Councillor Joe Carroll, laid a wreath at the Ahakista Memorial in Cork. People in large numbers were present at the event to pay tribute to the victims of the Kanishka bombing. School students paid musical tribute to victims at the Ahakista Memorial in Cork. Speaking at the event, Irish PM Michael Martin said, 'Very honoured to be here in Ahakista this morning on this 40th anniversary of that terrible day in 1985 that saw the Air India flight cruelly and horrifically brought down off our coastline. It's always a privilege and honour to attend this sober commemoration and to witness the dignity, dedication and care with which you remember your loved ones who died so horrifically 40 years ago today.' '329 innocent people lost their lives over the skies of Ireland that morning, and the passing of time does not dim the scale of loss and this atrocity. We feel the enormity of your loss when we see the faces and read the stories on the memorial here, before us. Especially moving are these simple descriptions: student, child, so many young lives taken far too soon. While the scale of this horrific act is of global significance, we should never forget that it is an intensely personal tragedy. The loss and grief felt by you, the families and loved ones of the people who died that June morning in 1985 is deeply personal. One only needs to come here on any year and listen to you speak, witness you placing flowers into the sea or laying wreaths to understand how powerful that grief endures,' the Irish PM added. (ANI)
