The Saskatchewan NDP is responding to a Monday announcement from BHP stating that Stage Two of the Jansen Mine will be pushed back two years to 2031. 

Economy Critic Trent Wotherspoon says the current government has created an environment not suitable for large-scale projects of this nature, and it’s hurting Saskatchewan’s economy. 

“If you look back over the years, the record of Premier Moe is last of the pack in Canada when it comes to economic growth,” Wotherspoon stated.

He adds that BHP isn’t the only company pulling a plug on a major project, as Viterra’s canola crush plant is in limbo, and the Federated Cooperatives renewable diesel and canola crushing facilities have been put on hold indefinitely. 

“We need to do all we can to create the environment to secure investment to secure these projects and many others…One of those levers is to reduce cost and make sure we have a competitive advantage.”

He says Premier Moe has a lot to answer for on these fronts, and he calls on him to remove the PST on construction labour, a tax that has been in place since 2017.