Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe once said a fundamental pillar of Canadian democracy is the rule of law. His province is now prepared to break it.

In a recent year-end interview with The Canadian Press, the premier said it鈥檚 unfortunate the province won鈥檛 follow federal law by not remitting the carbon levy to Ottawa starting Jan. 1, but it鈥檚 a decision he believes is fair.

鈥淚t鈥檚 unfortunate that there will be a violation of federal law, led by our provincial minister here in Saskatchewan,鈥� Moe said.

鈥淏ut that violation is coming about by the province making the very same decision on behalf of its residents, as the federal government did on behalf of residents in Atlantic Canada.鈥�

In October, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced people who use heating oil are exempt from paying the carbon levy over the next three years, largely helping those in Atlantic provinces.

Moe and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith asked Trudeau to extend that exemption to cover all other forms of heating, including natural gas, but it was denied.

Moe鈥檚 Saskatchewan Party government then upped the ante, saying the province鈥檚 gas utility, SaskEnergy, won鈥檛 remit the federal carbon levy starting Jan. 1 so residents can save on their bills.

He said in an interview that it鈥檚 unfortunate the province and Ottawa can鈥檛 always work together.

鈥淲hen that opportunity is not there, and these unconsulted policies or regulations come forward, unfortunately, then we communicate our position through the media, and it鈥檚 much more publicly than if we work through some of these challenges behind the scenes,鈥� Moe said.

This past year, the Saskatchewan Party premier has often been at odds with the federal government over environmental policies that he believes will damage the province鈥檚 economy.

In May, he said Saskatchewan won鈥檛 follow Ottawa鈥檚 proposal to work toward a net-zero electrical grid by 2035. He thinks 2050 is doable.

Five months later, he made the announcement that SaskEnergy would not be remitting the federal carbon levy.

鈥淭he decisions that we鈥檙e making are not decisions that we鈥檙e sitting around and conjuring up,鈥� Moe said.

鈥淭hey are reactionary decisions to a federal government that increasingly is not consulting with provincial governments.鈥�

But should SaskEnergy not remit the carbon levy, it may face fines and company executives could also get jail time.

The province passed legislation this fall that aims to shield the company from legal ramifications. Instead, the province plans to bear that burden.

In February 2020, when groups blocked rail lines across the country over the construction of a pipeline in traditional Indigenous territory, Moe demanded the rule of law of be respected, calling it a 鈥渇undamental pillar of democracy.鈥�

Now that he鈥檚 prepared for his province to break emissions law, he again said it鈥檚 unfortunate it may cause instability in the country.

鈥淲e would ask the federal government to change course, just a bit,鈥� Moe said.

鈥淭hey have an election coming up at some point. I don鈥檛 know why you wouldn鈥檛 want to garner some credibility in the area of affordability.鈥�

But as the premier dukes it out with the federal government, his government has got its own battles at home.

In August, Saskatchewan announced a rule that prevents children under 16 from changing their names or pronouns at school without parental consent.

Lawyers for UR Pride, a Regina LGBTQ group, challenged it, arguing it鈥檚 discriminatory. A judge then granted an injunction to temporarily pause the rule.

However, Moe called the legislature back early to enshrine it in legislation and invoke the notwithstanding clause to prevent the challenge from proceeding.

Since then, some teachers have said they won鈥檛 abide by it.

Moe said he understands not following federal law could open 鈥渁 can of worms鈥� for others to defy rules.

鈥淭hrough all of that discussion and everything, I think at the end of the day, it鈥檚 important for us to keep a couple of things prioritized, and they are about the child,鈥� he said.

The province received 18 official complaints in June and July about pronouns, Pride activities and sexual education in school. Some complainants had said they think 鈥済ender ideology鈥� is being forced onto kids.

Moe said whether he agrees with that is 鈥渋rrelevant.鈥�

It was conversations legislature members had with parents that guided the policy, he added.

Meanwhile, Saskatchewan is expected to have an election next year.

Moe said he鈥檚 going to focus on what his 16-year-old government has built while protecting 鈥渢hat opportunity for future generations.鈥�

His main challenger, Opposition NDP Leader Carla Beck, hopes to form government.

鈥淥ur job in the next year is to build that trust, build those solutions with those people in this province and show ourselves to not only be a good Opposition, but to be a government in waiting,鈥� she said in a recent interview.

Beck said people are tired of a province that鈥檚 picking fights with Ottawa instead of getting results.

Her party supported the province鈥檚 move to prevent SaskEnergy from remitting the carbon levy to Ottawa.

But she said that was two months ago. Since then, she had expected Moe to move the needle on getting Ottawa to exempt carbon charges from all home heating, but it hasn鈥檛 happened.

She said she鈥檚 proud of how her caucus handled the emergency debate over pronouns. Her party saw its biggest online sign-ups of memberships when the province announced the rule.

鈥淚 think it was because people in this province increasingly see a government that is not focused on the priorities that are important to them,鈥� she said.

Jeremy Simes, The Canadian Press