By paNOW

Frustration over Sask. resistance on federal climate plan

Mar 19, 2018 | 11:00 AM

Environmental advocates are frustrated for differing reasons by the province’s continued opposition to the federal government’s pan-Canadian climate change framework.

Premier Scott Moe has followed in the footsteps of Brad Wall by refusing to sign on with Ottawa’s initiative, which requires provinces to impose a carbon pricing or tax system. As things stand, the SaskParty maintains, a federal carbon tax would hurt the province’s industry to the tune of billions of dollars a year. Instead of imposing the federal framework, the provincial government said they will work towards implementing their own home-grown strategy next year.

“The premier should sign on, not just for the infrastructure funding that goes with it, but to show we’re part of a unified front as a country to deal with this problem of climate change,” Saskatchewan Green Party Leader Shawn Setyo told paNOW.

Setyo said he’s all in favour of a made-in-Saskatchewan carbon emissions plan, as the SaskParty is, but claimed the governing party’s proposals don’t go far enough. He said the Green Party is ready to help modify those proposals to better reduce pollution while maintaining a sustainable economy. 

“Perhaps it’s just optics, or Moe wanting to be seen as taking his own stance,” Setyo said “It’s to the benefit of all people of Saskatchewan and industry in the long run to sign on.” 

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Saskatchewan is the only province currently holding out on the federal plan, and federal Environment Minister Catherine McKenna has said this province will still face a carbon tax whether it signs on by their Sept.1 deadline or not. Ottawa has already cut $62 million in climate change infrastructure funding because of Saskatchewan’s failure to meet a previous deadline to submit an acceptable carbon reduction plan.

“I hope the people of Saskatchewan realize the premier is putting that money on the line, where it could be used to develop a structure to combat climate change and create green jobs,” Setyo said.

A Prince Albert advocate also expressed annoyance over government handling of the climate file, but for different reasons.

“I’m frustrated with general government inaction, because the electoral system forces them into short-term thinking,” Nancy Carswell, P.A. spokesperson for the Council of Canadians told paNOW. “If we had proportional representation then the next people coming in wouldn’t undo the work of their predecessors.”

Carswell said even a nominal price attached to carbon emissions would sent a clear message.

“People would perceive this as action and that we can’t keep going on as we are. We need pain now, which premier Moe is trying to avoid, or it’s going to be really painful later,” she said.

Carswell said the Council of Canadians doesn’t trust the market to find solutions to problems like climate change and such regulations need to be made and enforced by governments.

“Renewable energy [provides] sustainable growth without the extraction, production and pollution costs to Saskatchewan taxpayers’ health and wealth,” she said.

glenn.hicks@jpbg.ca

On Twitter:@princealbertnow