Despite the millions of taxpayers’ dollars the Sask. Party has paid to an American lobbyist to promote carbon capture in the US, Saskatchewan was left out of a large carbon capture coalition that was announced last week in the U.S. This rejection comes after not a single jurisdiction in the world joined the CCS global consortium the Sask. Party attempted to create.
“Instead of standing there today and repeating the line that ‘we're certainly leading the world’ when it comes to carbon capture, the Minister should be more concerned about how little Saskatchewan people have really gotten in return for the billions of their dollars the Sask. Party has dumped into it,” said NDP Environment Critic Cathy Sproule. “The Sask. Party is hurting Saskatchewan’s economy and is costing families and businesses more and more with this project and we simply are not seeing the results the Sask. Party promised or are still bragging about.”
The latest figures from SaskPower show that between January 2017 and January 2018, Boundary Dam 3 was online an average of 61 per cent of the time – up only slightly from the 56 per cent it ran at in 2015. In its four years of operation, it hasn’t even captured half of its one billion tonnes per year target and SaskPower reports that efforts to improve the key amine chemistry are still ongoing.
“We could be a global leader but, because of the Sask. Party, Saskatchewan has been dropped from the global conversation on carbon capture,” said Sproule. “They haven’t been straight with Saskatchewan people or the world, about the performance of Boundary Dam 3. And now, by forcing power rate hikes, leaving Saskatchewan people vulnerable to Ottawa’s carbon tax, and stubbornly rejecting $62 million in federal funding, the Sask. Party has essentially turned this experiment into a $1.5 billion carbon capture tax.”
Poor working conditions, favouritism, $300K travel nurse pay at issue
REGINA - Today, the Official Opposition released a letter signed by 49 emergency room nurses in Saskatoon. The letter slams the Sask. Party government for failing to support Saskatchewan nurses and curb the province’s reliance on expensive out-of-province travel nurses.
REGINA - Today, Official Opposition Critic for First Nations and Métis Relations Betty Nippi-Albright hosted a Day of Action with Indigenous leaders from Nekaneet First Nation, Yellow Quill First Nation, Waterhen Lake First Nation, Onion Lake Cree Nation, Carry The Kettle First Nation, Key First Nation and the residential school support team from Yorkton Tribal Council. Together, they continue to draw attention to the Sask. Party government’s disregard for the Duty to Consult process.
MOOSE JAW - Today, the Official Opposition stood with Taylor Enns, president of the Moose Jaw Firefighters Association, and Brayden Dutchak, the son of a cancer survivor. Together, they called on the Sask. Party government to reopen Saskatchewan’s only hyperbaric chamber.
Records show former Sask. Party Finance Minister lobbied for Calgary surgery scheme on behalf of a major Sask. Party donor
REGINA - Today, the Official Opposition grilled the Premier and his Minister of Health after the Minister misled the public, claiming that he had not been lobbied by a former Sask. Party MLA when Saskatchewan's official lobbyist logs show the exact opposite.