St. John’s, NL – John Hogan, KC, Leader of the Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador and Official Opposition, is disappointed, but not surprised, to see Newfoundland and Labrador excluded from Ottawa’s newest list of major projects to be fast-tracked given Premier Wakeham’s failure to support the Churchill Falls MOU.
“It is not surprising that our province does not have a major project on the list. Premier Wakeham has cast doubt on the Churchill Falls project and thrown its viability into question. I would not expect the Prime Minister to invest resources in a project the Premier has put on thin ice, when other provinces are stepping up to the plate and giving full support to their resource sector, workers and economies.”
In September, Prime Minister Carney listed the developments at Churchill Falls and Gull Island as a project that could be truly transformative for this country. This followed several meetings between Prime Minister Carney and Premier Hogan. When the Prime Minister was in St. John’s he acknowledged the enormous opportunity in Newfoundland and Labrador and the tremendous benefits of clean energy projects, like Churchill Falls and Gull Island, on our local and Canadian economy. The project has now been omitted from the latest list – an unfortunate consequence of the PCs failure to clearly state their position on the MOU. There is also concern about whether there is enough time to complete negotiations given that the Premier has also committed to an independent review and a referendum, neither of which he has established a timeframe for.
The Official Opposition questions Premier Wakeham’s level of advocacy to the federal government to ensure Newfoundland and Labrador is not left behind. To date, there has been no indication that Premier Wakeham has met with the Prime Minister since being elected, and it remains unclear if he has even made a formal request for a meeting.
Newfoundland and Labrador is rich in natural resources and boasts a highly skilled work force. To miss out on the opportunity to develop these projects, employ thousands of workers, and grow our economy with support from the Federal Government would be detrimental to our future.
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