Climate change panelist doubts public will accept green jobs message

Liberal MLA Gilles LePage says the idea that the green energy sector would lead to more jobs is a tough sell in rural New Brunswick.

He was responding to a presentation by the Conservation Council of New Brunswick, which cited a statistic from Clean Energy Canada, that showed green jobs would outnumber jobs created by the fossil fuel industry 15 to 2.

"In rural areas, your message and your numbers will not be accepted. We won't be able to sell those numbers, sorry," he said at the legislature's Select Committee on Climate Change Wednesday.

LePage emphasized the difficulty of the mindset shift, saying the coal-fired Belledune Generating Station has been a steadfast employer in the region.

"Try to convince my people in my riding who work [at Belledune] 40 hours a week, to the solar (job) where he'll work four hours a week to fix one panel," LePage said.

LePage asked Louise Comeau, director of climate change and energy solutions, what kind of jobs she was referring to.

Comeau responded there would be jobs installing retrofits and solar systems, although said the legislature should study particulars by speaking to people in the clean-technology industry.

"We need them to get a chance to hear from real workers in those jobs today," said Comeau.

LePage is one of the members on the committee, which has been hearing from climate experts. Other presenters included representatives from the Department of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries and the Department of Energy and Resource Development.

Wednesday was the second day the committee sat this week.

The committee will meet again on Thursday before going on the road to hear from the public.

The first public hearing will take place in Perth-Andover on Aug. 26.