SASKATOON – Opposition New Democrats were blasting the government Monday over delays to the opening of the BHP Jansen Mine near Humboldt.
The NDP pointed to the news that BHP had pushed back the opening of the mine to the middle of 2027. At a media event in Saskatoon, and in a news release Monday morning, their critic for Energy and Resources Sally Housser said the delay would blow a hole in the provincial budget.
“This mine is a gamechanger and I look forward to the day it’s fully open,” said Housser in a statement. “But the Government staked a lot of revenue numbers on this project coming online. The delay could add another hole to a Sask. Party budget that already had no basis in reality. We have said before, the Sask. Party’s budget isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on.”
The provincial budget presented by Finance Minister Jim Reiter in March had posted a surplus of $12 million. But the NDP have repeatedly called the numbers into question, with their Finance critic Trent Wotherspoon going so far as to put the budget document through a shredder at a media event.
In their news release Monday, the NDP further questioned the numbers. They noted that soon after the provincial budget, the Sask. Party scrapped its “industrial tax slush fund” to the tune of $430 million. They also pointed to the Sask. Party government pegging oil at $71 per barrel at budget time, but prices had dipped below $60 in early May, costing more millions to the treasury.
Housser raised the spectre this will lead to further cuts to health and education. In a statement, she characterized the government as reckless.
“No contingency for Trump tariffs and wildly over estimated revenue projections. We have an incompetent government who delivered a budget that simply wasn’t based in reality. It’s reckless and now the people of Saskatchewan will end up paying the price,” Housser said.
In their response, the Sask Party government also used the word “reckless” in describing the Opposition.
“The lost and reckless NDP continues to demonstrate how they would drive jobs and investment out of Saskatchewan if they were in government. BHP remains committed to building the largest potash mine in world, right here in Saskatchewan, something that never would have happened under the NDP, who drove potash investment out of our province through forced government takeovers of potash mines.”
“We look forward to seeing the first production from BHP’s Jansen mine, now planned for 2027. This aligns with the initial timeline for first production at Jansen, before it was accelerated to 2026.“
The government statement also pointed to Saskatchewan currently having the highest rate of job growth and lowest unemployment rate in the country largely due to the resource sector.
“This would not be the case if the NDP held government today, as their lost and reckless policies drive away investment and jobs that come along with it.”
