NDP Leader Jim Dinn (St. John’s Centre) says transparency and accountability must be more than political talking points and is calling on Premier Wakeham to back up those words with action by releasing the Bay du Nord benefits agreement to the public.
Dinn says that Newfoundlanders and Labradorians deserve to know the details of any deal that will shape the province’s economic future, particularly one as significant as Bay du Nord. He argues that withholding the agreement undermines public trust and prevents meaningful scrutiny of the government’s decisions.
“People have a right to know what’s being negotiated on their behalf. If this is truly a good deal for the province, then the government should have no issue being open and transparent about it,” said Dinn. “Releasing documents that highlight the missteps of the former government is one thing, but transparency doesn’t end there.”
As Official Opposition, the PCs were loud and unwavering in their calls for transparency around the former Liberal government’s handling of the Churchill Falls MOU. But now that they form government, they seem unwilling to follow their own rulebook. Dinn questions why they are refusing to make public a deal they are so proud of.
“I have to question why the PCs are choosing to take a page from the former Liberal playbook when it comes to transparency,” said Dinn. “You can’t demand openness in opposition and then shut the door once you’re in power. If the PCs believed transparency was essential then, it should be essential now.”
“What is there to be afraid of? Is it because this deal is eerily similar to the deal on the table under the former government? Dinn questions. “The public have a right to know what is in this deal, just as they did with the Churchill Falls MOU. Unfortunately, when it came to working with the PCs to ensure transparency and oversight for that project, they didn’t want to be involved.”
“I am hoping this isn’t an indication of how this government plans to operate for the next four years. Transparency is more than just words – it requires action and proof that it’s a priority. The people of this province are owed that.”
Dinn is calling for the agreement to be made public for next week when the House of Assembly reopens.