The Premier’s newly appointed Churchill Falls Negotiations Oversight Committee is again raising serious concerns about the Conservative government’s approach to one of the most important negotiations in Newfoundland and Labrador’s history.
The committee includes Julia Mullaley, who served as Chair of the Muskrat Falls Oversight Committee beginning in 2014. She also held senior public service positions, serving as Deputy Clerk and Clerk of Executive Council between 2011 and 2013, where she would have been directly involved in decisions related to the Muskrat Falls project, its sanctioning and early construction.
“This appointment reinforces concerns that the Conservatives are relying on many of the same individuals and perspectives that were involved in the Muskrat Falls project,” says Official Opposition Leader John Hogan, KC.
The former Muskrat Falls Oversight Committee chair is now overseeing Churchill Falls negotiations. The Minister responsible for Natural Resources during Muskrat Falls is now leading negotiations. And the author of the MOU review report comes from Nova Scotia’s Muskrat Falls partner and refuses to identify his sources.
While the Negotiations Oversight Committee members bring significant professional experience in their respective areas of expertise, the committee lacks expertise in key areas that are critical to this oversight role.
“Mr. Levert and Mr. Jardine are experienced engineers and Ms. Mullaley has a distinguished career in public service and finance,” said Hutton. “However, what is notably absent is expertise in energy markets, energy regulation, and contract negotiation. Those are precisely the areas that will determine whether Newfoundland and Labrador secures the best possible deal.”
The list of Muskrat Falls-era connections becoming involved in the Churchill Falls negotiations is growing, and the level of transparency and accountability is shrinking. The Premier hired his negotiating team months before he was forced to disclose it to the media following questioning from Energy Critic Fred Hutton, the witnesses who provided evidence to the MOU review committee remain a secret, the Premier can’t decide if he’s involved in the negotiations or not, and we still don’t know what role Danny Williams is playing behind the scenes.
Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are being asked to trust a Conservative government that appears determined to repeat many of the Muskrat Falls mistakes.
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