75-Minute Debate (30 November 2023)

From Hansard (30 November 2023)

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Provincial Response to Federal Energy Policies

The Assembly was debating the following motion moved by Travis Keisig (Sask Party - Last Mountain-Touchwood):

That this Assembly calls upon the Government of Saskatchewan to continue with the broad efforts and years of government advocacy work which led to The Saskatchewan First Act, which will stand up for and assert Saskatchewan’s exclusive provincial jurisdiction over nonrenewable natural resources and the operation of sites and facilities for electrical energy production and generation; and further,

That this Assembly condemns the Liberal-NDP federal government’s proposed clean energy regulations, oil and gas cap, and the federal fuel standard as unconstitutional, uneconomical, and a clear violation of provincial rights.

Mr. B. McLeod: — Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Pleased to be able to stand and ask today. So the member from Cumberland, unfortunately not here to hear this today . . .

The Deputy Speaker: — You can’t say when a member’s not here.

Mr. B. McLeod: — . . . opposing the tribunal and The Saskatchewan First Act, I quote: “So hopefully the backbenchers with the Sask Party government, you can actually wake up some of those ministers and say, hey, we didn’t do this right.”

On our side of the House, we stand with our ministers who are standing up to federal regulations that would see Saskatchewan people’s energy bills become completely unaffordable at best.

To the member opposite from Walsh Acres, will you commit to waking up some of your colleagues and supporting our government in opposing the federal clean electricity regulation?

Mr. Clarke: — Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, and thanks to the member opposite for the question. You know, we’ve been clear about being worried about the impact of the clean energy regulations on the Saskatchewan economy. We are happy to work with Saskatchewan companies to invest in renewable energy, to transition our grid to rely less on fossil fuels. And so yeah, we’re happy to work with any organization, any business who wants to support the Saskatchewan economy.