https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/feds-millions-small-nuclear-reactors-1.5955274
Feds to put millions into small nuclear reactor development in N.B.
Provincial Green Party leader calls the announcement a sign of an impending election call
· CBC News· Posted: Mar 18, 2021 4:52 PM AT
A Small Modular Reactor proposed for Oakville, Ont. intended to be operational in 2029. Two New Brunswick-based proposals have received government funding to help develop the idea. (Terrestrial Energy)
Taxpayers are pouring tens of millions of additional dollars into subsidizing the development of small modular nuclear reactors in New Brunswick.
Just weeks after the provincial government committed $20 million to support one of the two Saint John companies working on the technology, the federal government has provided more than $50 million for the second firm.
"This initiative marks the beginning of a coordinated effort to ensure New Brunswick is well positioned to become the global leader in the development of SMR technologies," federal cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc, an MP from New Brunswick, said during the announcement in Saint John.
"This will obviously help meet our climate change goals as well."
Of the $56 million LeBlanc announced, $50.5 million goes to Moltex Energy to subsidize its work on developing its stable salt reactor technology.
Almost $5 million is going to NB Power to help prepare the Point Lepreau generating station site for the installation of small modular reactors built by Moltex or ARC Clean Energy, the second company in the mix.
Dominic LeBlanc, the MP for the New Brunswick riding of Beauséjour and minister of intergovernmental affairs, announced more than $50 million for Moltex, one of the companies trying to develop SMRs in New Brunswick. (Jean-François Benoit/CBC)
There's also $560,000 for a research centre at the University of New Brunswick that works on SMR technology.
Green leader David Coon said the large sums are a sign that the federal Liberal government is planning an election call soon and fears Saint John-Rothesay MP Wayne Long could lose.
"They're worried about Saint John, so they found a prime time strategically to pump some money into Saint John," he said.
But LeBlanc said nuclear energy is essential to meeting Canada's emissions-reduction targets because it doesn't rely on fossil fuels and doesn't emit the carbon dioxide that causes warming temperatures.
"We're supporting an energy solution and an energy technology with extraordinary potential not only for the economic future of our province and the country but a real opportunity to change the energy future of the world, and that would be done right here in New Brunswick."
Point Lepreau generating station is also getting $5 million from Ottawa to prepare the site for SMR construction. (CBC)
The New Brunswick Conservation Council immediately denounced the funding as well as the $20 million earlier given to ARC Clean Energy by the Higgs government and $10 million handed to both companies by the previous provincial Liberal government.
Louise Comeau, the council's director of climate change and energy solution, said the same amount could have been spent on $3,000 rebates for 28,000 electric vehicles and $5,000 energy retrofit rebates for 17,000 homes.
"More money is being invested in long-term speculative SMR research than is going to investments to cut greenhouse gas emissions today," she said in a statement.
An anti-SMR group called the Coalition for Responsible Energy Development has raised questions about whether small reactors can ever be viable, given the huge upfront cost of development needed before they can be built and sold.
Governments tout economic benefits
According to the Higgs government, if New Brunswick companies can secure just one per cent of the Canadian market for small reactors, the province would see $190 million in revenue.
Natural Resources and Energy Development Minister Mike Holland says "the vast majority" of funding for Moltex and ARC must come from the private sector. The $20 million the province announced for ARC is contingent on matching private investment.
Both companies say they have private investors lining up. but public money is needed to send a signal to the market.
On Thursday LeBlanc said SMRs are a potential solution for remote northern communities that depend on diesel fuel.
"The development of these technologies can completely change the future of communities like that in northern Canada," he said.
But both ARC and Moltex told CBC News last fall their likely customers are provincial power utilities.
Green Party Leader David Coon says developing SMR's will 'open up a Pandora's box of radioactive waste.' (Shane Fowler/CBC News)
Coon says he's worried that the money will lead to NB Power "popping off the lids" of silos of nuclear waste now stored near the existing Point Lepreau nuclear plant so it can begin "experimenting" with its technology.
Moltex says it can affordably extract the most radioactive parts of the existing waste, now stored in pellet form, to reuse in its process.
The company says the remainder of the spent nuclear fuel would be less radioactive for a shorter amount of time, making ongoing storage easier.
But Coon says it will "open up a Pandora's box of radioactive waste."
About the Author
https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/elections/poll-tracker/canada/
Updated on Mar 18, 2021 at 11:29 am ET
Poll Tracker
Justin Trudeau's Liberals could narrowly win a majority government if an election were held today, with seats gains coming primarily at the expense of Erin O'Toole's Conservatives. The Liberals have held a lead of about five points in national polls since the end of last summer, with little movement one way or the other. The New Democrats, Bloc Québécois and Greens would likely win a similar number of seats as they currently hold, though only the NDP has notably more support than it did on election day.
Poll averages
Arrows show change in party support since Mar. 17, 2021.
Probability of winning
Probability of the Liberals winning a majority
Probability of the Liberals winning the most seats but not a majority
Probability of the Conservatives winning the most seats
The regional picture
The Liberals could win a majority of seats because they have enough support to hold what they currently have in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada. A few extra seats in Western Canada, particularly in British Columbia, put the 170-seat threshold needed for a majority government in range. The Conservatives are ahead only in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba and are vying for second place in B.C. with the New Democrats. The Greens are in double-digits in support only in New Brunswick and P.E.I.
Individual polls
All national opinion polls used in the Poll Tracker are listed below in reverse-chronological order. Click on the poll to view the full detailed report of the poll or the original source.
| Dates | Poll | LIB | CON | NDP | BQ | GRN | OTH | Sample | Weight | Method | MOE * |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 13 - Mar 15, 2021 | NewResearch Co. | 37 | 28 | 20 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 1,000 | 13 | NET | +/-3.1% |
| Mar 12 - Mar 14, 2021 | Léger / Canadian Press | 36 | 31 | 19 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 1,512 | 14 | NET | +/-2.5% |
| Mar 2 - Mar 5, 2021 | Abacus Data | 34 | 30 | 18 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 2,000 | 9 | NET | +/-2.2% |
| Mar 2 - Mar 3, 2021 | Ipsos / Global News | 35 | 28 | 16 | 7 | 10 | 3 | 1,000 | 8 | NET | +/-3.1% |
| Feb 26 - Mar 3, 2021 | Angus Reid Institute | 35 | 31 | 19 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 5,004 | 13 | NET | +/-1.4% |
| Feb 26 - Feb 28, 2021 | Léger / Canadian Press | 35 | 28 | 23 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 1,532 | 7 | NET | +/-2.5% |
| Feb 23 - Feb 24, 2021 | Mainstreet / iPolitics | 36 | 31 | 15 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 1,476 | 6 | IVR | +/-2.5% |
| Feb 11 - Feb 19, 2021 | Angus Reid Institute | 34 | 31 | 20 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 1,987 | 5 | NET | +/-2.2% |
| Feb 12 - Feb 14, 2021 | Léger / Canadian Press | 36 | 29 | 20 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 1,535 | 4 | NET | +/-2.5% |
| Feb 8 - Feb 10, 2021 | Ipsos / Global News | 33 | 30 | 20 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 1,000 | 3 | NET | +/-3.1% |
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Definition of Terms
Dates refers to the field date range of the survey.
Poll shows the pollster that conducted the survey and the media outlet (if applicable) that either commissioned the poll or first reported on it. When available, a link to the pollster's report is provided.
Sample refers to the number of total respondents interviewed, including undecideds.
Weight refers to the weight (out of 100) the poll carries in the aggregation. Weight is determined by the date of the survey, the sample size and the track record of the polling firm.
Method refers to the mode of contact of the polls:
- TEL: Polls conducted via the telephone with live operators conducting the interviews with randomly-dialed respondents.
- IVR: Polls conducted via interactive voice response, in which recorded questions are played for randomly-dialled respondents and answers are given via the telephone keypad.
- NET: Polls conducted via the Internet. In most cases, respondents come from a panel of Canadians recruited in various ways, including over the telephone.
- T/N/I: Hybrid poll combining different methodologies, including telephone (T), online (N) and/or IVR (I).
* Margin of Error (MOE) lists the margin of error (in percentage points) of a corresponding probabilistic sample equal to the size of the poll's sample size.
Trudeau’s long overdue budget is a travesty, but it is also an opportunity to launch an election and define the campaign on his terms
/https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/opinion/contributors/2021/03/14/trudeaus-long-overdue-budget-is-a-travesty-but-it-is-also-an-opportunity-to-launch-an-election-and-define-the-campaign-on-his-terms/trudeau_budget.jpg)
By now, it has become tiresome to point out just how long Canadians have waited since the Trudeau government tabled its last federal budget.
Week after week, Opposition MPs and partisans have piled on with the effect of lending the whole debacle an air of legitimacy, as though many are simply taking potshots at a government besieged by extraordinary circumstance.
But the reality is, this is no partisan matter. It is a travesty. It’s been 726 days and counting — the longest interlude between federal budgets in our nation’s history.
The government will argue that the singular challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic justifies a pass. That it explains nearly two years without a comprehensive fiscal plan. That the prime minister and his cabinet shouldn’t be troubled by the distraction of something as marginal to the country’s administration as a budget.
Parliament’s oversight of the nation’s finances, they argue, can wait while the government carries out its crusade to save us all from this wretched pandemic.
It is a tale as old as the Greek mythology it calls to mind. In this particular political version, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is cast as Odysseus, conquering the demons of the wider world while his kingdom awaits his return, and with it a chance to hear his postwar plans.
And it is a tale that is working for the prime minister. A recent Nanos Research poll shows that more Canadians trust the Liberals with the country’s finances than any other party.
The Canadian electorate is then like Odysseus’ devoted wife Penelope, sitting patiently and faithfully by, as they await the return of their leader and a peek into his fiscal plans.
But as Odysseus learns in Homer’s epic, other suitors will arrive — and even the most patient subject will grow weary of waiting.
And so, watch for the prime minister to use the budget, and all the promise inherent in it, as the kickoff to a spring election.
Expect a co-ordinated effort by Trudeau and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland, to ensure that Canadians understand exactly what is at stake for them in the upcoming election. That we all understand that we must return the Liberals to power if we want the benefits promised in the budget.
Here’s the playbook the government is likely to follow. Freeland will stand in the House and introduce a decidedly progressive budget designed to appeal, at a high level, to the government’s base and those to its left. It will also contain a series of measures with particular appeal to target groups and priority electoral districts.
And then, as soon as she sits down, Trudeau will walk over to Rideau Hall and ask the acting Governor General to dissolve Parliament and call an election.
And if he does, it won’t be the first time Canadians have seen that movie. The 2011 budget pulled the Harper Conservatives’ into a successful election campaign and in 2019, the Liberals’ budget framed the coming election in terms of the middle class.
On balance, with the vicissitudes of vaccine distribution being the one caveat, the opportunity looks to be ripe for the taking. A well-crafted budget — one that assuages Canadian’s post-pandemic anxieties and doesn’t entirely ignore the very real concerns about our ballooning debt — may just be the ticket to a majority government.
And there is evidence that isn’t a crazy idea. That Nanos poll gives the Liberals a nine-point lead over the Conservatives on trust to manage the country’s finances, And as every partisan knows, a Conservative party unable to earn the trust of Canadians when it comes to the public purse, is dead on arrival.
No wonder the Liberals feel as though they have wind in their sails.
And for Erin O’Toole, making up that nine-point gap will not only be a Herculean task, it will be an asymmetrical fight.
On one side, the government with the ability to deploy a budget for all its worth. And on the other side, an Opposition leader with few tools at his disposal to do the job.
The rest of us? As we have for 726 days, we will simply have to wait and see.
Trudeau government to reportedly surpass 2 years without federal budget
Ottawa is reportedly set to surpass two years without tabling a federal budget.
A senior government official tells the Globe and Mail the Trudeau liberals will not release a budget this month as it continues to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
That means by the time a budget is released more than two years will have passed since the last one.
A budget had been scheduled for march 30 of last year but former Finance Minister Bill Morneau shelved that plan amid the crisis.
The official tells the Globe and Mail no decision has been made on a budget date, other than it won’t be in March or early April.
The House of Commons will be sitting for five weeks between April 12 and May 14, suggesting the budget could be released in that time.
Trudeau says government will 'absolutely' return to balanced budget
His comments come as economists and other experts have warned for months against allowing temporary relief benefits to become a fixture in the federal budget
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau holds a press conference outside Rideau Cottage in Ottawa on Dec. 1, 2020. Photo by Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press
OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says his government will “absolutely” return the budget to balance following the COVID-19 pandemic, saying temporary spending measures will eventually be wound down.
In a wide-ranging year-end interview with CTV’s Evan Solomon that aired Sunday, Trudeau was adamant that current levels of pandemic relief would not become a permanent expense for taxpayers.
“The contextual spending we’re doing right now is because of COVID, but we are not adding to the long term-pathway,” Trudeau said.
His comments come as economists and other experts have warned for months against allowing temporary relief benefits to become a fixture in the federal budget. The Parliamentary Budget Officer and others have said that Canada currently has the fiscal space to absorb a massive spike in spending, but a failure to return to normal could create a major fiscal burden down the road.
The federal government is preparing to run a $381-billion deficit in 2021, and has meanwhile voiced plans to widen spending on a raft of social files, from childcare to affordable housing. Other measures including a more generous employment insurance regime are likely to increase federal program spending.
Trudeau also defended his decision to promise another $70 billion to $100 billion in stimulus spending over the next three years. Ottawa announced the new spending in its fiscal update in late November, but declined to provide any details about how the funding would be distributed.
In the CTV interview, Trudeau said the new stimulus would be needed in addition to the huge piles of cash that households have saved up over the pandemic.
A report last month by CIBC found Canadian households are sitting on a record-high $90 billion in excess cash, largely because they had no place to spend money during lockdown, and with many receiving cash supports from the government. In its fiscal update, Ottawa referred to the cash pile as “pre-loaded stimulus” that would spur economic growth when restrictions are eventually eased.
“When this is done and we’re allowed to go back to our local favourite pub or restaurant, people are going to rush out,” Trudeau said. “And that’s going to be a great part of the recovery, but that’s not going to be enough.”
“There’s lots of things that we’re going to need to do to give the economy a boost so we can come roaring back,” he said.
The prime minister also expressed his support of the Keystone XL pipeline, proposed by Calgary-based TC Energy. The future of the pipeline has been in question after U.S. president-elect Joe Biden said the project would effectively transport “tar sands we don’t need.”
Trudeau reiterated his support for the Alberta-to-Texas oil pipeline, which has already faced a long line of legal and regulatory hiccups since it was first proposed in 2007.
“I have been advocating for that pipeline as an important part of a continental energy strategy for many years,” he said.
Even as we transform our economy there will still be a need for the next few decades for fossil fuels and their various forms
Canada will also continue to be an oil-exporting nation 20 years from now, Trudeau said, even as his government laid out stricter environmental policies earlier this month to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Those plans include a sharp increase to carbon taxes and other industry-related programs — of which some oil and gas supports say runs counter to the long-term viability of the fossil fuels sector.
“Even as we transform our economy there will still be a need for the next few decades for fossil fuels and their various forms,” Trudeau said. “We just need to get a lot better in decarbonizing them and lean on the experts in the oil and gas industry and the expertise of energy workers to help us transform our economy for the long term.”
The prime minister also expressed regret over not having recused himself from the selection of WE Charity for a $950-million student loan program. The decision ultimately embroiled him in his third conflict-of-interest scandal since coming to power in 2015. Trudeau, his wife, and his mother had all been paid by the charity for public speaking arrangements, which he acknowledged on Sunday was bad from an “optics perspective.”
Trudeau also said he regretted not having moved more quickly to secure personal protective equipment early in the pandemic, after his office underestimated the spike in demand for masks by non-healthcare workers.
“I don’t think we understood or expected to see the kind of race for PPE,” he said. “We ended up being okay, but there are stories of frontline health workers who had to bring their masks home to wash them. That shouldn’t have happened.”
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "MinFinance / FinanceMin (FIN)"<fin.minfinance-financemin.fin@canada.ca>
Date: Fri, 26 Feb 2021 22:02:55 +0000
Subject: RE: Methinks Trudeau the Younger, the RCMP and CBC are well aware of why Katie Telford's buddy Jesse Moeinifar CEO of Viafoura and his evil moderators should be sued BIGTIME N'esy Pas?
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
The Department of Finance acknowledges receipt of your electronic correspondence. Please be assured that we appreciate receiving your comments.
Due to the evolving COVID-19 situation, we apologize in advance for any delay in responding to your enquiry. In the meantime, information on Canada's COVID-19 Economic Response Plan is available on the Government of Canada website at www.canada.ca/coronavirus<http://www.canada.ca/coronavirus> or by calling 1-800 O Canada (1-800-622-6232) or 1-833-784-4397.
Le ministère des Finances Canada accuse réception de votre courriel. Nous vous assurons que vos commentaires sont les bienvenus.
En raison de la fluidité de la crise de la COVID-19, il est possible que nous retardions à vous répondre et nous nous en excusons. Entre-temps, les informations au sujet du Plan d'intervention économique du Canada pour répondre à la COVID-19 sont disponibles dans le site Web du gouvernement du Canada au www.canada.ca/coronavirus<http://www.canada.ca/coronavirus> ou en composant le
1-800 O Canada (1-800-622-6232) ou le 1-833-784-4397.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "MinFinance / FinanceMin (FIN)"<fin.minfinance-financemin.fin@canada.ca>
Date: Thu, 25 Feb 2021 06:35:56 +0000
Subject: RE: The snobby French lawyer Mirko Bibic is back in the CBC News today N'esy Pas Mr Minister of Industry?
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
The Department of Finance acknowledges receipt of your electronic correspondence. Please be assured that we appreciate receiving your comments.
Due to the evolving COVID-19 situation, we apologize in advance for any delay in responding to your enquiry. In the meantime, information on Canada's COVID-19 Economic Response Plan is available on the Government of Canada website at www.canada.ca/coronavirus<http://www.canada.ca/coronavirus> or by calling 1-800 O Canada (1-800-622-6232) or 1-833-784-4397.
Le ministère des Finances Canada accuse réception de votre courriel. Nous vous assurons que vos commentaires sont les bienvenus.
En raison de la fluidité de la crise de la COVID-19, il est possible que nous retardions à vous répondre et nous nous en excusons. Entre-temps, les informations au sujet du Plan d'intervention économique du Canada pour répondre à la COVID-19 sont disponibles dans le site Web du gouvernement du Canada au www.canada.ca/coronavirus<http://www.canada.ca/coronavirus> ou en composant le
1-800 O Canada (1-800-622-6232) ou le 1-833-784-4397.
From CBC poll analyst Éric Grenier, the Poll Tracker aggregates all publicly available polls.