Sask. Green Party calls for royalty hikes

So the two main parties oppose raising royalties. The Calvert klunkers content themselves with selling off the half interest that they had in an upgrader. The history of the sellout of crown corporations can be seen at this site. While non-NDP governments were responsible for some sellouts of course the NDP has done nothing to return them to the public sector. In 1973 Saskoil was established as a crown that explored and developed energy resources but that is all gone as is the government owned Potash Corporation and much else. Everything is up for grabs. Now Big Oil calls the tune there is no public alternative. The choice is between Tweedle Dee (Sask Party) and Tweedle Dumb (The NDP). THe Green Party also seems not to have heard of publicly owned oil companies but will just ding Big Oil a bit harder perhaps almost as much as the Conservatives in Alberta!


Sask. Green party calls for royalty hikes
Last Updated: Friday, October 26, 2007 | 11:29 AM CT
CBC News
The leader of the Green party in Saskatchewan is on side with Alberta's Conservative government when it comes to oil and gas royalties.

In an interview with CBC, Sandra Finley says she wants to charge more to companies that extract resources. She noted that royalty rates in other jurisdictions tend to be higher than what Saskatchewan charges.

She made her comments Thursday, the same day Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach announced the province will boost royalty rates charged to energy companies beginning in 2009.

However, the odds that a similar change will occur in Saskatchewan appear low.

In the weeks before the Saskatchewan election was called, the two front-running parties, the New Democrats and the Saskatchewan Party, each rejected the idea of boosting royalty rates, which were lowered in the province in the 1990s.

The NDP has since accused the Saskatchewan Party of planning to lower royalties.



Meanwhile, Liberal Leader David Karwacki says a Liberal government in Saskatchewan would consider raising royalty rates on oil and gas.

Karwacki says this province must remain competitive, but should consider increasing the amount of money it collects in royalties.

The Green Party of Saskatchewan is running candidates in 48 of the 58 constituencies for the Nov. 7 election, with Finley a candidate in Saskatoon Nutana.