NDP hopefuls take aim at premiers
OTTAWA • NDP leadership contenders found some common ground Tuesday night in their vociferous opposition to Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall and Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister on carbon pricing.
Their fifth leadership debate, held in Saskatoon, marks the beginning of the last half of the race for a party hoping to rebuild and grow following the painful results of the 2015 election including in western Canada.
Candidates Manitoba MP Niki Ashton, Quebec MP Guy Caron, Ontario MP Charlie Angus and Ontario legislator Jagmeet Singh all took aim at Wall for his strident opposition of Ottawa’s plan to put a price on carbon emissions.
The premier has vowed to go to court if the province is forced to adopt it.
Angus said Tuesday the Saskatchewan premier fails to acknowledge the 20th century is over, noting that as NDP leader he would personally favour adopting a legislated carbon budget to reduce emissions.
“The guy, no offence, but he is like the man violently defending the future of the typewriter when everyone else has moved to cellphones,” Angus said, adding he will work with any government on the Prairies willing to diversify its economy.
For her part, Ashton came out swinging against the conservative in the province next door — Pallister.
“Coming from Manitoba, I can say my premier, Brian Pallister, doesn’t speak for me and I’m venturing to guess a lot of people here in this room don’t feel that Brad Wall speaks for them,” she said.
Pricing carbon is necessary to fight climate change but a one-size-fits-all approach won’t work when it comes to implementing a carbon plan, Singh said.
“We need to also know that every province is different so we have to approach that,” he said.
Singh has vowed to reduce carbon emissions to 30 per cent of 2005 levels by 2025 — five years ahead of the current Liberal target.
Pallister and Wall are wrong, Caron added, noting it says something when the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers and the Mining Association of Canada are open to carbon pricing.