As the House of Assembly concluded its spring sitting, the Conservative Government has provided no meaningful answers or actions on major issues facing Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. The Official Opposition remains focused on holding the government accountable and advocating for the priorities that matter most to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.
The Government failed to provide satisfactory answers to several of their troubling decisions. These include giving up the Bay du Nord topside work for a drydock for which the costs and liabilities are unknown, cancelling plans for a new provincial hospital, cuts to roads and education, paying a political staffer $275,000 from MCP funds for a part-time job, and hiring their Conservative campaign manager secretly through a corporation with public service funds.
Most significantly, the Official Opposition repeatedly expressed concerns about the Conservatives’ handling of the negotiations surrounding the Churchill Falls MOU, calling for greater transparency and accountability on an opportunity worth hundreds of billions of dollars.
“We hope that negotiations will now proceed to final agreements on the Churchill River,” said John Hogan. “But I cannot stress enough the concern we have about the lack of transparency around the so-called “independent” review committee’s report. The authors who won’t speak to their own report, a report that references secret experts with unknown qualifications.”
The Official Opposition questions if the Conservative government has the long term interest of Newfoundland and Labrador in mind. Critical delays in MOU negotiations, forfeited topsides, a cancelled future fund, and a dropped equalization suit, the Conservative government is closing doors on serious and significant opportunities.
The Official Opposition also raised concerns about the Conservative’s first budget, arguing that it failed to deliver on many of the promises made during the election campaign and overlooked key areas such as affordability and education.
Throughout the sitting, the Liberal Caucus supported measures that would benefit Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, including the establishment of a Disabilities Advocate and efforts to extend the recreational food fishery. Liberals received unanimous support for a Private Members’ Resolution calling for restrictions on social media access for children, and proposed legislation aimed at helping reduce the cost of groceries for Newfoundland and Labrador families.
“These accomplishments demonstrate that meaningful progress can be made when parties work together in the public interest,” said Opposition Leader John Hogan, KC.
Despite the Conservatives’ resistance to accountability and transparency, the Official Opposition took seriously its responsibility to scrutinize government decisions, ask difficult questions, and put forward constructive solutions on behalf of the people of the province.
“As the Official Opposition, it is our duty to investigate, question, and present ideas,” said Hogan. “Government is accountable to the House of Assembly, and through this House, accountable to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. A strong Opposition is a fundamental pillar of democracy, and we will continue to do that work every day.”
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