The Leader of the Official Opposition believes the province is really no further ahead following what government called a significant announcement on rate mitigation on Monday.
Ches Crosbie says all he heard talked about was an agreement that in the future there would be an agreement, and that the provincial and federal governments have agreed to negotiate. He calls it a “non-announcement”.
Day for Reassurance Became Hollow Electioneering: Crosbie
Ball began his speech with a history lesson, slamming the PC Party for the project. Crosbie says it wasn’t exactly the location for “the blame game”.
Crosbie says it was supposed to be an occasion to reassure people that there is a plan in place to make life in the province affordable, and unfortunately, he didn’t see that happen.
The PUB says the province is short $400-million per year to hold rates down, and Crosbie questions where that money is coming from. He says there are mysteries that need to be resolved.
Crosbie didn’t hold back when sharing his thoughts on the announcement, calling it a propaganda exercise. He says the whole exercise was designed to distract the public from Premier Ball’s troubles over patronage and the Carla Foote scandal.
Little Federal Commitment and Little Detail, says Coffin
The provincial NDP leader was underwhelmed by what she heard at Monday’s rate management announcement.
Alison Coffin says she would have liked to see more detail in the plan around quantification. She says would’ve loved to have heard that the federal government was willing to provide the $200-million Premier Ball suggested they would before the last election. Coffin believes that would have been reassuring.
At this point, Coffin says no one has actually quoted what the electricity rate will be.
She also has questions about government’s move to decarbonization and the impacts that would have on their Advance 2030 plan.
Coffin says if the province is decarbonizing locally, will government also take a more prudent, world approach and look at less investment in offshore oil.
Alison Coffin will join Fred Hutton and Gerri-Lynn Mackey live in-studio on the VOCM Morning Show at 8:10.
