A letter released today shows that an NDP MLA has been secretly endorsing local independent power producers (IPPs) in his community while NDP leader Carole James has been hypocritically campaigning against them, Environment Minister Barry Penner said today.
April 22, 2009A letter released today shows that an NDP MLA has been secretly endorsing local independent power producers (IPPs) in his community while NDP leader Carole James has been hypocritically campaigning against them, Environment Minister Barry Penner said today.
“After months of ideological posturing from the NDP about imposing a complete moratorium on renewable independent power production, we now have further proof of how hypocritical and questionable the NDP position really is,” says Penner. “The smoking gun is that while their leader talks, one of her critics is writing letters in favour of IPP projects and jobs in his riding. The only question now is: how many other NDP members have talking out of both sides of their mouths by covertly disagreeing with the NDP’s regressive attack on green jobs and the environment by providing critical endorsements to these local projects?”
Penner is referring to a letter released today written by Columbia River-Revelstoke candidate Norm Macdonald. In the letter, which Macdonald wrote on his MLA letterhead, he expresses support for proposals by Remote Structure Inc. for their run-of-river hydro projects in his constituency.
Said Macdonald in the letter dated March 7, 2006: “I am pleased to add my support to the Remote Structures Inc. run-of-river hydro projects at David Thompson Falls and Cedar Creek. Adding clean, green power will contribute to the growth of the local economy. It will also help B.C. Hydro achieve its goal of having the most economic and environmentally friendly resource acquisition program in North America in the next five years.”
Across the province, independent power projects have already been credited with providing over 1,100 jobs in rural communities and $2.4 billion in investment, with billions more in investment and thousands more jobs to come. In the 1990s, the NDP actively promoted run-of-river projects and reduced water rental rates to encourage more IPP development. By the time they left office in 2001, 17 run-of-river projects were in operation in B.C. But the current NDP leadership has adopted a much more hostile view towards private sector investment in renewable energy and wants to ban such projects.
"Mr. Macdonald's acknowledgement that run-of-river projects are green, renewable economic generators is a complete rejection of everything Carole James and the NDP are telling British Columbians about these projects,” says Penner. “We can only hope that more candidates will speak out against the narrow-minded, ideological positions of their leader and lend their support to more renewable energy projects to fight climate change and increase our energy independence."
Last month, NDP Energy Critic John Horgan admitted his leader would have rejected a $150-million project that the BC Liberal government has approved in the Fraser Canyon, despite acknowledging it is "absolutely" a good project that will create 120 jobs in partnership with local First Nations.
Learn more at:•
http://www.bcliberals.com/NDPonIPPs•
http://www.bcliberals.com/BCLTV-StopTheSmears
Backgrounder: Download a copy of NDP MLA Norm MacDonald's letter supporting these Remote Structure Inc. run-of-river hydro project proposals at
http://www.bcliberals.com/MacDonaldLetter
