NDP Finance Critic Calls for Shutting Down of Coal Plants in Saskatchewan
NDP’s move would cost over 1,000 jobs in Saskatchewan alone
Instead of standing up for our Saskatchewan jobs and resources, the NDP want to shut down our province's oil and coal industries.
Lori Carr, the newly elected Member of the Legislative Assembly for Estevan was disappointed to hear that the NDP’s Finance critic, Cathy Sproule called for the phase out of coal, threatening jobs and growth in Saskatchewan.
“I think it speaks to an NDP that continues to be out of touch with the people of this province,” said Lori Carr, “calling for the elimination of coal might play well in the cafes of downtown Toronto, but we’re talking about the livelihood of thousands of workers right here in Saskatchewan.”
In an interview with the Regina Leader-Post last week Cathy Sproule said the province should “phase out coal”.
Earlier this month at the NDP’s federal convention, Cathy Sproule voted in favour of the Leap Manifesto – a declaration that among other things calls for keeping Canada’s natural resources in the ground, blocking much-needed new energy infrastructure like pipelines, and the scrapping of trade agreements.
“It makes you wonder where the NDP’s priorities are” added Carr. "Why is the NDP's Finance critic actively working against jobs in our province?"
Saskatchewan’s coal industry is a vital part of the province’s electricity generation. In addition to having enough coal to meet Saskatchewan’s growing power needs for at least 300 years, our mining and power generation from coal employs over 1,000 people in our province.
Thanks in large part to the innovative solutions being developed at Boundary Dam’s Carbon Capture/Sequestration (CCS) plant, coal can continue to be a major part of Saskatchewan’s power generation capacity on an ongoing basis.
This technology is attracting attention from around the world as a working solution to help meet climate targets. Without the solutions being developed at Boundary Dam, new federal regulations would require the decommissioning of these plants and the loss of thousands of jobs.
"By embracing the Leap Manifesto the NDP's Finance critic is calling for nothing less than the shutdown of our province's energy sector," Carr said. "Our government is proud to stand up for our energy industry and the thousands of workers it supports."
While the NDP has declared war on Saskatchewan’s economy, the Saskatchewan Party government will continue to fight for thousands of jobs in our mining and resource sectors while also developing innovative solutions to meet our climate and environmental goals.