With reports that government officials in both
Saskatchewan and Montana have "failed to deliver the money" for a proposed
joint carbon capture project, NDP Leader Dwain Lingenfelter said Brad Wall's
weak leadership and deteriorating relationship with the federal government is
to blame. Lingenfelter said the project had been announced by Wall and Montana
Governor Brian Schweitzer with great fanfare and represents yet another example
of Wall's refusal to stand up for Saskatchewan after the costly photo-op is over.
"A memorandum of understanding was signed by
Wall in May 2009 but little has been heard about this project since then,"
Lingenfelter said. "With this latest announcement, Wall's inability to deliver
on his promises to the people of Saskatchewan has never been more evident."
Lingenfelter noted that the 2009-10
Intergovernmental Affairs Ministry Plan states that the Wall government will "Support
the achievement of a new carbon capture and storage partnership with the State
of Montana through coordinating high level missions led by the Premier to
advance these issues."
"Wall placed his own credibility on the line
with the success or failure of this project and now that his weak leadership
has been exposed, Saskatchewan people deserve answers directly from him,"
Lingenfelter said. "Time and time again Wall is front and centre with promises
but has failed repeatedly to fulfill them."
Lingenfelter said the list of failed attempts
to bring federal dollars to Saskatchewan is growing while Wall and his
government continue to refuse to demand better of the Harper Conservatives.
"We've received no money for an isotope
reactor, carbon capture dollars pass us by while projects receive funding in
Alberta, and Wall refuses to stand up, as Danny Williams has in Newfoundland,
for $800 million annually in non-renewable resource money. And in exchange for
being ignored, Wall refused to criticize Conservative backbenchers for calling
disaster-struck municipalities ‘kids' and publicy supported Harper's unpopular
decision to prorogue parliament last fall," Lingenfelter said.
"The pandering has to stop now," Lingenfelter demanded
of Wall. "Come clean with Saskatchewan people about your failures and stand up
for your province for once."
