New Brunswick’s Green party leader says the premier drew a line in the sand on environmental action in his State of the Province address — and is standing against it.
David Coon released a statement late Wednesday in response to the State of the Province address presented by Premier Blaine Higgs earlier in the day.
Coon said the premier has firmly anchored himself on the wrong side of history in order to maintain the status quo.
“He is ignoring the efforts of local businesses to expand renewable energy development but handing $20 million to foreign nuclear power developers to weigh us down with more costly and dangerous waste-generating nuclear technology,” Coon wrote.
Higgs announced during the speech that the province is investing $20 million in the small modular reactor (SMR) field by supporting ARC Clean Energy’s technology believing it will boost private sector investment.
The Premier just announced he is going to throw $20 million away on nuclear fantasies , instead of supporting New Brunswick's growing renewable energy sector.
— David Coon (@DavidCCoon) February 10, 2021
Coon said the premier’s revelation that the province will have a deficit of just $13 million this year is a “slap in the face” to small businesses struggling to survive and in desperate need of help to get through the pandemic.
The Green Party leader also addressed the promise of a three-month review into the province’s tenancy system announced by Higgs.
“The Premier should freeze rents and evictions until his three-month review of New Brunswick’s tenancy system is completed to avoid companies from jacking up rents in the interim for fear of future rent controls,” said Coon.
Coon said he agrees with the premier that we need to become more self-sufficient, but not on the backs of working people, small businesses and the environment.
The Premier came out firmly against the application of Canada’s clean fuel standard to the Irving Oil refinery while backing their application to the EUB to increase the price of heating oil, gasoline and diesel.
Statement: https://t.co/iTFB7Mitr0 pic.twitter.com/TdK60mrBTo
— David Coon (@DavidCCoon) February 10, 2021
