The Official Opposition is calling on Premier Wakeham and the Conservative Government to immediately instate a truly independent oversight committee to provide transparency and accountability throughout the remainder of the Churchill Falls negotiation process with Hydro-Québec.
The Official Opposition was shocked to learn this morning that the Premier’s hand-picked Oversight Committee’s role ended when the Definitive Comprehensive Implementation Agreement (DCIA) was executed with Hydro-Québec. Chair of the Oversight Committee Dan Levert confirmed this morning that “our role ended when the DCIA was executed.”
Premier Wakeham is clearly making things up as he goes. Mr. Levert stated clearly that the committee’s work was done once the DCIA was executed. It was only after questions from the media that the Premier said they “intend” to have “another oversight process in place” — and that the three hand-picked members have now agreed to stay on.
This does not address the major concerns that were raised today in the House of Assembly:
- The Oversight Committee was appointed directly by the Premier
- The Oversight Committee has no requirement to report to the public
- The Oversight committee admitted they used no outside expertise or counsel to evaluate the new agreement or its pricing strategy, instead taking the word of the negotiators they were meant to oversee
The Premier appointed a panel to tell only him whether he followed his own mandate, before even concluding negotiations.
The Conservatives campaigned on a commitment to transparency and accountability. Instead, the public is being asked to trust the government while independent oversight has been removed from the process.
“It is another broken promise on a growing list. Newfoundlanders and Labradorians deserve better than ‘trust us’ when it comes to a 50-year agreement that will shape the future of this province”, says Hogan.
The Official Opposition is calling on Premier Wakeham to immediately establish a truly independent oversight committee and ensure that meaningful, transparent and independent oversight remains in place until the final Churchill Falls agreement is signed.
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