With the special debate in the House of Assembly around the new Churchill Falls DCIA on the horizon, NL NDP Leader Jim Dinn (St. John’s Centre) wrote Premier Tony Wakeham yesterday calling for true independent oversight of the deal, with the team remaining involved in the oversight of negotiations up to and including the completion of final definitive agreements.
Just as the NL NDP did in 2024, Dinn sent a letter outlining the same options for oversight that they put forward to former Premier Furey. Dinn points out that one of the options that was put forward by the NDP was also put forward by the PCs and should be acted on.
“Option 1: Task the Public Utilities Board with the responsibility to review the DCIA to determine if it is in the public interest. The PUB will engage the necessary expertise, staff, and independent consultants to review assumptions, calculations, projections, etc. of the DCIA and remain involved in the oversight of negotiations up to and including the completion of final definitive agreements. The PUB will report regularly to the HOA and to the public on their analysis subject to commercial sensitivities.
“Considering that in 2024, you called on the Liberal government to refer their MOU to the PUB for an “independent and impartial review,” I feel confident you will be open to this option.
“Option 2: Establish an independent expert oversight and review Committee to Review the Churchill Falls MOU in the public interest. The committee will be composed of experts and will engage the necessary expertise, staff, and independent consultants to review the assumptions, calculations projections, etc. of the DCIA and remain involved in the oversight of up to and including the completion of final definitive agreements. Liberal, Progressive Conservative, New Democratic Party, and independent members will be responsible for selecting their own representative on the committee. The House of Assembly will confirm the Committee. The Committee will report regularly to the HOA and provide regular updates to the public on their analysis subject to commercial sensitivities.
“While your Independent Review Committee reviewed the 2024 MOU, no such analysis has been done on the DCIA. Since opposition members had no input into the composition of the IRC and its mandate and were unable to question the committee on its findings it can hardly be called transparent.”
Dinn says that the only way Newfoundlanders and Labradorians can trust a deal is if politics is removed, and independent experts come in and conduct a review, and sustain that oversight throughout the definitive agreements process.
“We have no independent way of judging the financial and economic merits of the deal. We need reassurance this simply wasn’t a political exercise. As with the 2024 MOU, NDP support for your MOU will depend on your commitment to an independent and ongoing review of the DCIA.”
A copy of the full letter is attached.