REGINA - It was two different fates for two emergency motions presented in the Legislative Assembly on Monday.
An NDP bid for an emergency motion to overturn the recently passed provincial budget predictably fizzled out. But a government emergency motion to make Saskatchewan the first carbon tax-free province in Canada was supported unanimously, despite an NDP attempt at an amendment.
The first emergency motion was attempted by NDP Finance Critic Trent Wotherspoon. He sought leave to introduce a motion that “the Assembly recognizes that the policy decision by the Government of Saskatchewan to remove the output-based performance standard will result in $432 million less in revenue than the budget presented by the Finance minister; and the Assembly calls on the Finance minister to present a revised fiscal forecast that reflects this reality.”
But Wotherspoon needed unanimous consent to get the motion to the floor. When the Speaker asked the Assembly if leave was granted, the Sask Party majority shouted no, ending that effort.
Then, Minister of Environment Travis Keisig stood and moved his emergency motion: that “this Assembly supports the government’s actions to make Saskatchewan the first carbon tax-free province in Canada by pausing the industrial carbon tax under its output-based performance standards, or OBPS, program, a decision that will provide immediate financial relief to families, farms, businesses, and industries; and further, that this House believes that the federal government should provide authority to provincial governments to decide their own industrial carbon tax policies without a federal backstop.”
This time, there was unanimous consent and leave was granted. In his remarks as recorded in Hansard, Keisig spoke of the economic benefits from the move to pause the industrial carbon tax.
“We want to make our industries more competitive in the face of these tariffs and have the ability to protect and create jobs. Making Saskatchewan a carbon tax-free province would do just that, Mr. Speaker.”
The NDP’s Wotherspoon also spoke in favour, saying his party didn’t support the OBSP program either. But he again was critical of the Sask Party for a $432 million revenue hole in the budget due to its removal of the industrial carbon tax.
"They say the budget’s still balanced, Mr. Speaker. 'They' as in like the only people on this planet, but 'they' as in that Sask Party government, Mr. Speaker, somehow suggesting, you know, that their already very meagre, so-called surplus of 12 (million dollars) is still intact, which is just ridiculous, Mr. Speaker. Twelve minus 432 certainly doesn’t equal a balanced budget, Mr. Speaker."
Wotherspoon moved an amendment to Keisig’s emergency motion, calling for the Finance minister to present a revised fiscal forecast. Once again, that idea got a cool reception from government members. The Sask Party's Jeremy Harrison expressed his disappointment the amendment was moved, saying the main motion "is really a very straight-up motion and was crafted and drafted in such a way that I was hoping there would be all-party support for the motion."
Following debate, the NDP amendment was defeated by the Sask Party majority by a 31-25 vote. The main motion carried, 56-0.
