Lək̓ʔəŋən [LEKWUNGEN] TERRITORY / VICTORIA, B.C. — “Today, the Prime Minister disparaged the economic model of foreign resource companies taking from British Columbians, like his grandfather, while giving little back to the province. It’s ironic, because today’s announcement is locking British Columbians into that same antiquated model,” said Emily Lowan, leader of the BC Greens, in response to today’s announcements from Prime Minister Carney and Premier Eby. “Nostalgia is not an economic plan.”
“Eby continues to contradict himself. He says BC is a net-contributor to national coffers, then claims that BC has no leverage in federal infrastructure decisions. Carney, Smith and Eby are performing a choreographed struggle where the winners were always going to be foreign fossil fuel companies,” said Lowan.
MLA for West Vancouver-Sea-to-Sky Jeremy Valeriote stated: “The announcement underscores that British Columbia is at a crossroads—the path Premier Eby offers is lip service to the future and actual service to extractive corporate interests. While the booming clean energy sector is sidelined by this government, fossil fuel projects get subsidies and expedited permits. Today, British Columbians only got vague promises about clean energy projects and environmental protections, and an overdue commitment from the Prime Minister to uphold the North Coast Tanker Ban.”
While Carney and Eby’s announcement mentioned clean energy investments, there were no details on scale and scope, no statements of the massive economic benefits this industry provides, and no deference to the personal investments many British Columbians and First Nations are making to advance this industry.
“Eby touts BC workers as the most highly-trained on the planet, who are ready to propel Canada into a new age of innovation, so why is the government spending billions to keep their ankles tied to the economic cinder block of fossil fuels?” asked Lowan. “For every dollar invested, renewable energy creates three times as many jobs as the fossil fuel industry — every dollar our government chooses to put into fossil fuels is a choice to kill jobs.”
“This is a wasted opportunity — we could be investing in industries that create a wealthier, healthier society,” said Lowan. “BC could be leading the country in manufacturing electrified trains and buses, creating revolutionary technology like heat pumps and a clean grid, investing in a care economy— that is the economy British Columbians deserve and what the BC Greens support.”
Lowan concluded: “Economic prosperity does not come from nostalgia for a dying industry, it comes from looking to the reality of the 21st century.”
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