Brian Zinchuk is editor and owner of Pipeline Online
Aleana Young, Saskatchewan NDP Jobs & Economy Shadow Minister, asked about SaskPower rate increases on March 2. Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
Here is the Hansard record of the discourse on SaskPower rate increased on Monday, March 2. Aleana Young, NDP Shadow Minister for Lobs and the Economy as well as SaskPower, asked Minister of Crown Investments Corporation and SaskPower Jeremy Harrison about rate increases for SaskPower customers.
Aleana Young: — Well thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Let’s talk about broken promises. You know, Mr. Speaker, here in Saskatchewan, families, farms, and small businesses are struggling to make ends meet. We hear it every day. Life is getting more expensive. I’m sure members opposite hear that from their constituents as well. Well what was this government, what was this Premier’s solution? Well it was to jack up power bills by $136 million.
Now, Mr. Speaker, when we asked the Premier in December if power rates were going to rise, he said no consideration had been given to that. Yet lo and behold, just six weeks later, rates went up.
When did the Premier know that power rates were going to rise? And why wasn’t he upfront with the people of Saskatchewan?
Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of CIC [Crown Investments Corporation of Saskatchewan].
Hon. Jeremy Harrison: — Well thank you, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And I’ll get to the member’s question, but I just want to say this is why nobody in this province takes the NDP seriously. They keep referring to the Premier in their questions, Mr. Speaker. The Leader of the Opposition; that member just did in that preamble. We all know what the Premier is doing right now, Mr. Speaker, because he’s on the front of every newspaper in the country. He is in India with the Prime Minister of Canada, and today . . .
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Speaker Goudy: — We’re probably supposed to not mention where the Premier is. But let’s listen to the answer, please. Minister of CIC, we won’t mention those who aren’t in the Chamber.
Minister of Crown Investments Corporation Jeremy Harrison responded on SaskPower’s growth plans. Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
Hon. Jeremy Harrison: — Well like I said, Mr. Speaker, this is precisely why nobody can take those members seriously. The Premier today is in India. The Premier today was there with Tim Gitzel, the CEO of Cameco Corporation; with the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi; with the Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney, signing a monumental agreement that will see Saskatchewan uranium power Indian nuclear reactors to the tune of $2.6 billion for our uranium here in this province, Mr. Speaker. Now the reason that the . . .
Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the member from Regina South Albert.
Aleana Young: — Why thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Nothing approaching an answer in this minister’s comments. And it’s clear, Mr. Speaker, that he’s afraid to answer the question.
The SaskPower board met on November 20th. We assume that the board approved the rate hike that day. That minister would have known the day likely before that not one but two rate hikes were coming for Saskatchewan people, costing them $136 million. And yet on December 4th, the Premier said rate hikes had not been discussed on that side of the House.
So for the record, when did this minister tell the Premier that he would be increasing people’s power bills not once, but twice?
Speaker Goudy: — I recognize the Minister of CIC.
Hon. Jeremy Harrison: — Well thank you, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And we have been very forthcoming with our energy security strategy at SaskPower.
Mr. Speaker, we are taking an all-of-the-above approach to power generation in this province, the three priorities being energy security, reliability, and affordability. And that means, Mr. Speaker, we are going to be making significant investments in SaskPower, including in generation as we bridge to nuclear power generation, something that the members opposite oppose, Mr. Speaker.
We also are going to be refurbishing our existing thermal coal assets, Mr. Speaker, something that the members opposite have condemned, Mr. Speaker. In fact, they have gone so far as to say that they would immediately shut down our thermal coal assets, put 1,400 people out of work, and shut down and devastate two communities, Mr. Speaker.
That’s something we’re not going to do. We’re taking a responsible approach to power generation, Mr. Speaker, including making real investments into transmission and generation.
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