Saskatchewan people forced to pay for smart meter, carbon capture fiascos

In the wake of the Sask. Party’s smart meter and carbon capture debacles, SaskPower announced today that they will need two more rounds of rate increases within the next twelve months.

“Time after time this government shrugged off concerns around how their failed projects would hurt Saskatchewan families, but plowed ahead with them anyway,” said NDP Crown Investments Corporation critic Carla Beck. “But here we are again being told that our SaskPower bills will go up this summer and then again, right after Christmas.”

SaskPower has seen a number of rate increases in the midst of the failed smart meter program and the carbon capture project, including five per cent in 2013, 5.5 per cent in 2014 and five per cent in 2015. Now Saskatchewan families will see a five per cent increase on July 1 and another 5 per cent increase in January.

The carbon capture project has cost Saskatchewan $1.5 billion, and has had many costly setbacks. Saskatchewan ratepayers are also on the hook for millions more after dangerous fire-prone smart meters were installed, then taken off of homes throughout the province. That is on top of the $23 million the Sask. Party handed the manufacturers of the meters that Saskatchewan families will never get back.

“This government simply doesn’t understand that it’s the people of the province that are paying for these projects,” said SaskPower critic Cathy Sproule. “We haven’t seen a budget from this government; we saw nothing in the throne speech by way of a vision for the future of this province; and now we’re seeing more financial burdens placed on hardworking Saskatchewan families and businesses who have helped make this province the great place that it is. That’s not right.”

Latest posts

POTENTIAL HEALTHCARE WORKER STRIKE ENTIRELY THE FAULT OF SCOTT MOE, JEREMY COCKRILL

Carla Beck’s Team Demands A Fair Deal For Frontline Workers After Four Years Without A Contract
REGINA – Carla Beck’s team is laying the potential of a fall strike involving thousands of healthcare workers squarely at the feet of Scott Moe and his ignorant Health Minister — who seems to cause strikes everywhere he goes — and demanding immediate action to get to the bargaining table and deliver a fair deal.

CARLA BECK DEMANDS PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON SHERWOOD DATA CENTRE AS HEAD OF RM ADMITS THE ‘GENERAL PUBLIC WAS NOT AWARE OF WHAT WAS GOING ON’

Thousands Have Demanded Transparency About Controversial Project, Sask. Party Has Put Up Barriers At Every Turn

REGINA – Carla Beck’s team is demanding Scott Moe and the Sask. Party come out of hiding and commit to a proper public consultation on a contentious data centre in the Rural Municipality of Sherwood after a handpicked official admits nothing of the sort has occurred so far.

SASK. PARTY MOOSE JAW MLAS OFFER MIXED MESSAGES ON CONTENTIOUS DATA CENTRE, CONTINUE TO IGNORE THOUSANDS OF CONSTITUENTS

MLA Megan Patterson Literally Cut A Ribbon With Project’s Proponents One Year Ago
MOOSE JAW – One Sask. Party Moose Jaw MLA says a highly contentious data centre in the Valley View area is dead.

CARLA BECK’S TEAM CALLS ON PREMIERS AT SUMMER MEETING TO STAND FOR PUBLIC HEALTHCARE

Danielle Smith, Scott Moe Openly Vouching For Two-Tier, American-Style Model
REGINA – As Canada’s Premiers gather for a summer meeting in Prince Edward Island, Carla Beck’s team is calling out Scott Moe and Danielle Smith for vouching to privatize healthcare — and calling on other Premiers to take a stand for public healthcare.

NDP Caucus Office