The provincial government is taking additional steps to ensure an easy transition to nuclear and coal-fueled energy security.
At the Canadian Nuclear Association conference in Saskatoon Tuesday morning, Premier Scott Moe announced an investment of $6.3 million to create four nuclear research chairs over the next six years. The chairs will be established at the universities of Regina and Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan Polytechnic and the First Nations University of Canada.
The move is congruent with Monday’s unveiling of the Saskatchewan First Energy Security Strategy and Supply Plan, which has a heavy focus on utilizing the province’s uranium supply.
The nuclear-focused agenda includes plans to get a plant up and running by the mid 2030s, as well as nearly $1 billion spent on refurbishing the province’s coal plants. Moe adds that federal commitment will be required to launch these new nuclear endeavors, and upcoming budget deliveries will determine what Ottawa is willing to contribute.
The NDP says it is in the process of compiling its own, superior, energy security plan, but Moe was not quite convinced.
“They’re dead set against coal as per the motions at their convention. They’re dead set against nuclear as per the motions at their convention. Really, there aren’t a lot of other options in this province. You can build natural gas and be totally reliant on natural gas at $1.4 billion for each of those plants. Good luck with your reliability in that fictional plan.”
The NDP also released a statement urging Moe to call for an end to Ottawa’s tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles.
The 100 per cent tariffs are understood to be the reason China has implemented its own tariffs on Canadian canola seed, oil, meal, seafood and pork. When asked about Party Leader Carla Beck’s demand, he agreed that lifting those tariffs would fix turbulent trade relations with China.
Moe added that he’s been doing his due diligence when it comes to trying to remedy the situation. “What I would say to Miss Beck and her entire party is this: Which premier has been in Chine advocating on behalf of Canadian farmers? There’s been one. One in six years. Which premier has been out with the entirety of the canola industry and sat down with the prime minister, the ag minister and the trade minister? There’s been one.”
Moe gave reporters a glimpse into his plans for the upcoming legislative session this morning at the Canadian Nuclear Association conference in Saskatoon. He says Wednesday’s throne speech will underline his government’s commitments to affordability, healthcare, education, addiction recovery and crime reduction. Moe added that he will continue to work alongside federal ministers to make progress on removing the American and Chinese tariffs on canola, but any financial support for canola producers will need to come from the upcoming federal budget.
Meanwhile, Beck says her focus during the fall sitting will be, similarly, lowering the cost of living, ending tariffs, fixing healthcare, and fighting crime.
