Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe laughed out loud at the accusations of Nadine Wilson that his deficit spending and energy policy was just like the federal Liberals.Wilson, leader of Sask United, has complained in the legislature that the scheduled closure of coal-fired power plants in Saskatchewan aligns with federal Liberal net zero goals and not with rhetoric from the premier in support of fossil fuels. On Thursday, Wilson compared Moe's fiscal record with that of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau."This premier has doubled the provincial debt during his tenure of just six years. His spending and mismanagement is just like the Trudeau Liberals, where they doubled the federal debt in nine years," Wilson said.Wilson also called on Moe to cut the provincial tax on fuel and the PST."Mr. Speaker, why won’t the liberal management opposite cut any of these taxes?" she asked."If it spends like a Liberal, manages like a Liberal and talks like a Liberal, it’s a Liberal. Mr. Speaker, let me read this government quote from their budget: 'The Minister of Environment has allocated 140 million to support clean electricity projects that accelerate our transition to a net zero emission electricity grid by 2050.'”Saskatchewan's debt was $17,614,880,000 when Moe took office and will soon exceed $32 billion. However, Moe laughed out loud at Wilson's comparison to the federal Liberals, and said it was apparent from the day he became premier in 2018 that he was not voting for them."That's the only person in the world that would accuse me of being a Liberal," Moe said of Wilson."That is the only person that I have ever met that has accused me of having any liberal leaning to the policies that I put forward personally or that our government puts forward."Moe said the government's decision to refuse to collect a federal carbon tax on home heating showed their stance."I don't think anyone can say that we have been in any way passively receptive to the carbon taxation policy that the federal Liberals have brought in place, supported by the NDP or any of the other policies, whether it be clean electricity standard, or anything of that sort."Moe said when he was environment minister, he refused to sign a pan-Canadian climate agreement under former federal minister of the environment and climate change, Catherine McKenna. Saskatchewan is the only province that never did."I'd say the federal government still owes us $64 million, because that was the cash bonus to sign that deal. And we should invoice them for that," Moe said.The premier said Wilson was "absolutely wrong" and "wrong on all accounts" including electricity generation. He pointed out that new natural gas power plants were coming online that will run until they no longer can. However, Moe did acknowledge the province was "transitioning some of how we create electricity due to federal policy that is in place, we are ensuring a few things and prioritizing a few things."Moe said he was going to run out fossil fuelled power plants "'til the end of their life." However, under federal regulations, all coal-fired power plants must be shut down by 2030.Sask United has said small modular nuclear reactors are an unproven technology. However, Moe said pursuing nuclear power is a natural fit and a necessary one given that hydro power is maxed out and renewable power is unreliable for baseload needs."We mine uranium here. Canada has the technology. Saskatchewan companies have ownership in the nuclear space, not just in the uranium mining," Moe said."We need to ensure that we have a reliable supply, again, for families so that when they turn on the light switch or when it gets cold, that that their furnace fan is running and the lights actually can come on."
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe laughed out loud at the accusations of Nadine Wilson that his deficit spending and energy policy was just like the federal Liberals.Wilson, leader of Sask United, has complained in the legislature that the scheduled closure of coal-fired power plants in Saskatchewan aligns with federal Liberal net zero goals and not with rhetoric from the premier in support of fossil fuels. On Thursday, Wilson compared Moe's fiscal record with that of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau."This premier has doubled the provincial debt during his tenure of just six years. His spending and mismanagement is just like the Trudeau Liberals, where they doubled the federal debt in nine years," Wilson said.Wilson also called on Moe to cut the provincial tax on fuel and the PST."Mr. Speaker, why won’t the liberal management opposite cut any of these taxes?" she asked."If it spends like a Liberal, manages like a Liberal and talks like a Liberal, it’s a Liberal. Mr. Speaker, let me read this government quote from their budget: 'The Minister of Environment has allocated 140 million to support clean electricity projects that accelerate our transition to a net zero emission electricity grid by 2050.'”Saskatchewan's debt was $17,614,880,000 when Moe took office and will soon exceed $32 billion. However, Moe laughed out loud at Wilson's comparison to the federal Liberals, and said it was apparent from the day he became premier in 2018 that he was not voting for them."That's the only person in the world that would accuse me of being a Liberal," Moe said of Wilson."That is the only person that I have ever met that has accused me of having any liberal leaning to the policies that I put forward personally or that our government puts forward."Moe said the government's decision to refuse to collect a federal carbon tax on home heating showed their stance."I don't think anyone can say that we have been in any way passively receptive to the carbon taxation policy that the federal Liberals have brought in place, supported by the NDP or any of the other policies, whether it be clean electricity standard, or anything of that sort."Moe said when he was environment minister, he refused to sign a pan-Canadian climate agreement under former federal minister of the environment and climate change, Catherine McKenna. Saskatchewan is the only province that never did."I'd say the federal government still owes us $64 million, because that was the cash bonus to sign that deal. And we should invoice them for that," Moe said.The premier said Wilson was "absolutely wrong" and "wrong on all accounts" including electricity generation. He pointed out that new natural gas power plants were coming online that will run until they no longer can. However, Moe did acknowledge the province was "transitioning some of how we create electricity due to federal policy that is in place, we are ensuring a few things and prioritizing a few things."Moe said he was going to run out fossil fuelled power plants "'til the end of their life." However, under federal regulations, all coal-fired power plants must be shut down by 2030.Sask United has said small modular nuclear reactors are an unproven technology. However, Moe said pursuing nuclear power is a natural fit and a necessary one given that hydro power is maxed out and renewable power is unreliable for baseload needs."We mine uranium here. Canada has the technology. Saskatchewan companies have ownership in the nuclear space, not just in the uranium mining," Moe said."We need to ensure that we have a reliable supply, again, for families so that when they turn on the light switch or when it gets cold, that that their furnace fan is running and the lights actually can come on."
