REGINA, La. — Saskatchewan's NDP leader has dismissed concerns about a comment one of the party's candidates for the Oct. 26 election appears to have made on social media about the oilsands and a pipeline expansion.
The Saskatchewan Party on Monday released a screenshot of a now-deleted post on Meara Conway's Facebook page in 2018.
Conway, a lawyer and an activist, won the NDP nomination in Regina Elphinstone-Centre last year.
The Saskatchewan Party says she shared a video in 2018 on Facebook of author and social activist Naomi Klein. Below the post, there is a long comment about the transition away from oil and gas and the expansion of the Trans Mountain Pipeline that would carry diluted bitumen from Alberta to the West Coast for shipment overseas.
"There is also research showing EVEN THESE OIL WORKERS support this transition as they know their children have no future in this industry," the post reads.
An expletive is used along with the description of the "tar sands" as a nightmare.
The post goes on to say that Ottawa doesn't have a plan to transition away from the resource and that change is needed to combat the effects of climate change.
"Any political agenda that takes climate change seriously doesn't have space for the KM Transmountain expansion and most regular people understand this intuitively," the post says.
"Even Saskatchewan residents support a transition away from fossil fuels and agree that the government should invest more in solar and wind power while strengthening environmental regulations (despite what the media or the Sk NDP's position on this might suggest.)"
At a campaign stop in Regina, NDP Leader Ryan Meili said his party supports the oil and gas industry and his candidates fall in line with that policy.
"People's position develops. Folks are part of a team and our position is that we support the energy industry. We support oil and gas in the province," he said following an announcement to spend $100 million to hire more health-care workers if his party wins the election.
Meili affirmed Conway is a member of the NDP's election team and left it up to her to clarify her comments.
In a statement sent from the party, Conway said Meili's position is clear. She also said she represents the views of many in her community
"I’m proud of the balanced approached he and the Saskatchewan NDP have articulated, which includes investments into renewable energy that would create sustainable, well-paying jobs for energy sector workers," her statement read.
"I will always stand up for the interests of Indigenous communities, individuals worried about the effects of climate change and the concerns of oil and gas workers who are worried about good, sustainable jobs."
She also said she remains concerned about climate change.
At a campaign stop in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan Party Leader Scott Moe suggested Meili should condemn Conway's comments outright.
"They have a candidate that is anti-oil, anti-agriculture and anti the Saskatchewan economy," he said at an announcement committing to bring back a tax credit for kids' recreation.
"If it doesn't happen, those comments continue to stand by that candidate. So Ryan Meili continues to have a question to answer with respect to his anti-oil candidate."
Meili characterized the Sask. Party bringing up Conway's past comments as a distraction in the race.
Over the weekend, the NDP criticized Moe's party for replacing its candidate in Saskatoon Eastview with another, who in the past has supported the federal Liberals.
And on Monday, Moe said he had spoken to Alex Nau, a Saskatchewan Party candidate running in Regina, who was quoted in a 2016 newspaper article about getting women to spin a "wheel of fun" at a country music festival.
One of the outcomes of the game asked women to expose their breasts.
"We understand that they were made a number of years ago. He regrets participating in those actions," Moe said.
"He understands that not only were they disrespectful to women, but they were very juvenile and they will not happen again. "
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 5, 2020
—With files from Bill Graveland
Stephanie Taylor, The Canadian Press
