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In an emailed statement, the spokeswoman said a lawsuit over a system that “isn’t fair to all Saskatchewan communities is nothing at all like” a lawsuit against the federal government’s carbon pricing plan “that would harm our economy.”

The possibility of legal action against the now-eliminated Crown corporation grants emerged late last month, when Saskatoon city council voted unanimously to pursue an injunction aimed at restoring about $11.4 million in grants to its budget.

While that action may not be possible, Mayor Charlie Clark, as well as the CEO of the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA), contend that the province does not have the right to unilaterally eliminate the grants.

Clark and SUMA have said the grants paid by SaskPower, SaskEnergy and TransGas are based on historic deals made when municipalities gave up their rights to distribute gas and electricity, whereas other Crowns pay grants in lieu of property taxes.

Harpauer insisted this week that the decision to eliminate the grants in the 2017-18 budget is part of the government’s plan to reduce its $1.3 billion deficit while at the same time remedying an “inequitable” system.

Saskatchewan NDP interim leader Trent Wotherspoon said he takes a dim view not just of Bill 64, but also of the government’s decision to “rip up (SaskPower’s) decades-old contracts with cities and towns” — a choice he said could be in violation of the law.

“He’s a hypocrite,” Wotherspoon said of Wall. “Changing the law to simply get his way? It’s indecent, and it’s really running roughshod over the rights of people and of our cities and our towns.”

Wotherspoon declined to speculate on whether passage of Bill 64 will leave SUMA and the province’s municipalities with any legal recourse. However, he added, “it’s about rising up, speaking out and working to stop the damage right now.”

amacpherson@postmedia.com

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