Kootenay-Columbia MP Wayne Stetski paid a visit to the mycrestonnow.com newsroom while on the road with NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh.
Stetski addressed the apparent divide the NDP has at the provincial level between BC and Alberta.
“The pipeline is a difficult issue, it has created some tension of course between Alberta and British Columbia. I think over time it will resolve itself. Personally I do believe we need to be transitioning to a different future but we still need to have oil and gas industry now.”
He said BC and Alberta are only a little out of step when it comes to the transition from fossil fuels and natural gas towards renewables. However, Stetski iterated that the shared values NDP members have far outweigh their differences.
“Whenever we have a caucus meeting, when we look at different sides of an issue, lots of different views, different opinions in the room. But there is a set of core values that all NDP rally around, so it’s like a family in that sense.”
Creating more opportunities for Canadians will help Canada transition from a nation that mainly exploits its resources to one with a more diverse economy according to Stetski.
He said the first step in creating equal opportunity is to make post secondary education free.
“The benefit you get from having a well educated population that gets involved in professional employment, makes them happy and gives them a secure future, far outweighs the cost of dealing with unemployment.”
However it is no secret that just over 190,000 Canadians have chosen to work in the field of oil and gas. Transitioning away from the industry could cost people their jobs if the move doesn’t accommodate the existing workforce entrenched in oil and gas.
Having a clear plan as to which technologies to invest in is the first step to help a transitioning workforce according to Stetski.
“To make it work you have to plan. You have to know where you want to go. When you talk about a green energy future, you need to define what that actually looks like. You need to define the actual skills you need to get us there and then government needs to provide some funding and training to create that transition.”
Stetski was on the road with NDP leader Jagmeet Singh during his Kootenay road trip on November 16 and the 17.