The Official Opposition strongly condemns the lack of independence, transparency and foresight in the creation and presentation of the Churchill Falls MOU Review committee.
Premier Wakeham delayed the release of the report until today because he said it allowed for the committee members to be available to address important questions resulting from their report. Instead, the Premier and his officials presented the report on their behalf and stated the committee will not be speaking publicly.
“The review committee has decided that they will not disclose the names of the experts, entities and individuals interviewed during the review process. How can the public have confidence in a review when information such as this is withheld from public scrutiny?” said Leader of the Official Opposition John Hogan.
The Premier also continues to fail to commit to a debate in the House of Assembly or confirm he will follow through on his election commitment to hold a referendum.
The Premier’s biased review panel raised several concerns with the MOU, many of which had already been addressed. Most notably, the panel appears to demand greater power and additional financial benefits, while offering no explanation as to what Newfoundland and Labrador should concede to Quebec in return. That approach leaves this province stuck in 1969 — with no new power, no new revenue, and no path forward.
“The MOU would provide Newfoundland and Labrador with $227 billion in new revenue and four times the current power allocation, figures confirmed by the panel itself.” said Energy Critic Fred Hutton. “Industry stakeholders and chambers of commerce recognized the agreement as a significant economic opportunity, while experts at Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro, along with independent analysts, endorsed it as a strong, fair and beneficial deal for the province.”
Today, Premier Wakeham finally announced a negotiating team that includes his secret hire, Jerome Kennedy. Mr. Kennedy is the latest Danny Williams-era politician appointed by Premier Wakeham and, as Minister of Natural Resources, played a central role in sanctioning Muskrat Falls. Mr. Kennedy declared that “Muskrat Falls will pay for itself” — a promise that has instead left generations of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians paying the price.
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