Premier Tony Wakeham has refused to open the House of Assembly for the fall sitting. While the NL NDP understands the current administration is still new to the job, there’s still important work to do.
Here is the question that MHA for St. John’s East-Quidi Vidi, Sheilagh O’Leary would have asked in Question Period today:
“Speaker, on the campaign trail while talking about oil exploration and the horrific wildfires our province faced this summer, Premier Tony Wakeham said, and I quote, ‘I don’t believe the two are related.’”
“As a long-time climate activist, it was completely jarring to hear our now Premier dismiss the facts that scientists have been telling us for years – that fossil fuels are harming our planet. Now we are told by the Premier that we are back in the oil business.”
“This summer alone we saw with our own eyes the devastation climate change can bring. Whether it was the multiple forest fires that tore families from their homes and left communities destroyed, workers impacted by the extremely low water levels, farmers striving for sustainable agriculture faced with the lowest crop yield in years, and seniors feeling the heat, often in homes without adequate air conditioning.”
“There is a cost with climate change – one our province cannot afford. Add to that the constant volatility of oil prices, and it becomes clear that our economic future is far from stable. I am not sure this administration really understands that.”
“I ask the Minister for Environment, Conservation, and Climate Change: When will we expect to see a full climate action plan for this province?”