For Immediate Release
7 October, 2022
NL NDP Leader and MHA for St. John’s Centre, Jim Dinn, was appalled by part 1 of the Auditor General’s investigation into Nalcor Energy.
“The audit reveals cronyism from successive Liberal and Conservative governments that ensured that their friends had no limits to spending public funds. Every Newfoundlander and Labradorian is on the hook for this unchecked spending.
“Muskrat Falls and Nalcor Energy were touted for all of the benefits and pride they would bring to this province. Now at every turn, we learn that the project was taken advantage of and it has left the people of this province on the hook for billions of dollars. What’s more concerning is there is no way for the Auditor General to quantify the amount of overspending based on Nalcor’s lack of record keeping.
“Our healthcare system is in a crisis after decades of government neglect. We have a housing crisis with public housing units sitting vacant while the waitlist only grows. Parents are working multiple jobs at legislated poverty wages just to try and keep the families fed and their homes heated.
“It should have been blatantly clear to successive governments that thousands across this province were going to have to pay for the unchecked spending where no public oversight existed. It’s time that government focus on the people of this province and not make excuses for insiders being given a blank cheque for the public purse.”
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For further information, contact Eddy St. Coeur, Director of Communications, NDP Caucus at 729-2137 (o), or eddystcoeur@gov.nl.ca