Wall vs Mulcair: Saskatchewan premier defends mining, oilsands

Trading barbs over the allocation of resource revenues is a blood sport in Canada, and the latest contenders are newly minted NDP leader Thomas Mulcair and Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall.

The National Post reports that Wall, whose province is rich in minerals including potash and uranium, tweeted his displeasure at Mulcair’s comments on resource exploitation last weekend.

In a radio interview, Mulcair said Canada’s robust petrodollar is damaging manufacturing in Ontario, New Brunswick and Quebec, and compared the situation to the so-called Dutch Disease- referring to a relationship between the exploitation of natural resources and a decline in a country’s manufacturing sector.

Wall fired back that rust belt states like Michigan and Ohio are suffering just as much as Ontario without any oilsands industry, while Saskatchwan’s manufacturing sector is doing just fine despite the high Canadian dollar.

“Let’s watch some of the rhetoric in this debate,” said Wall, citing the equalization cash western provinces contribute. “I’d say to Mr. Mulcair, he should explain to western Canadians why what we’re doing here is bad for the country when we know we’re contributing mightily to the nation.”

Continue reading at Financial Post

 

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