For Immediate Release
January 7, 2025
NL NDP Leader Jim Dinn (MHA for St. John’s Centre) wrote the Premier this morning insisting that government take the right step and implement an independent review of the Churchill Falls MOU to ensure Newfoundland and Labrador is getting the right deal.
Dinn believes that government owes it to the people of the province to provide the independent review to reassure the public that this is the best deal for our resource.
“The support of the NDP will depend on the commitment to an independent review. Not only must the review be independent, it must be perceived to be independent,” Dinn wrote.
“Any review must be arm’s length, fully funded, and must report to the House of Assembly and the public. This could be accomplished in one of two ways:
Option 1: Task the Public Utilities Board with the responsibility to review the Churchill Falls MOU. The PUB will engage the necessary expertise, staff, and independent consultants to review the assumptions, calculations, projections, etc of the MOU, and remain involved up to and including the Definitive Agreement. The PUB will report regularly to the HOA and provide regular updates to the public subject to commercial sensitivities.
Option 2: Establish an independent expert oversight and review committee to review the Churchill Falls MOU. 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 MOU, and remain involved up to and including the Definitive Agreement.”
A copy of the letter follows.
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For further information, contact Stephanie Curran, Media and Communications Officer, NDP Caucus at 330-0328 (o), or stephaniecurran@gov.nl.ca
January 7, 2025
Dear Premier,
The opportunity to hear from those who negotiated the Churchill Falls MOU has been informative, but there is still much to dissect about a complex deal that will have a great impact on the future generations of the province. While it has been said that the Muskrat Falls Inquiry report does not really apply to the Memorandum of Understanding, there are lessons to be learned, especially regarding the need for an independent review of the MOU to ensure we are getting the best possible deal. In fact, it is the one consistent demand of all who have contacted us.
The support of the NDP will depend on the commitment to an independent review. Not only must the review be independent, it must be perceived to be independent. Any review must be arm’s length, fully funded, and must report to the House of Assembly and the public. This could be accomplished in one of two ways:
Option 1: Task the Public Utilities Board with the responsibility to review the Churchill Falls MOU. The PUB will engage the necessary expertise, staff, and independent consultants to review the assumptions, calculations, projections, etc of the MOU, and remain involved up to and including the Definitive Agreement. The PUB will report regularly to the HOA and provide regular updates to the public subject to commercial sensitivities.
Option 2: Establish an independent expert oversight and review committee to review the Churchill Falls MOU. 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 MOU, and remain involved up to and including the Definitive Agreement.
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 subject to commercial sensitivities. Alternatively, the committee can report to cabinet and party caucuses.
The House of Assembly could continue to sit next week to approve the use of the PUB or an independent oversight committee. If the PUB approach is approved, a review could begin almost immediately. If the independent expert committee approach is taken, the HOA could sit prior to March 2025 to approve the composition of the committee and it could begin its work at that time. Regardless of the approach used, a preliminary review report at least could be presented to the HOA by June 2025 at the latest for debate.
Regardless of the option chosen, the independent review committee could be the basis of a long-term Energy Oversight committee.
We look forward to discussing these options with you over the next few days.
Sincerely,
James Dinn
MHA St. John’s Centre
PO Box 8700, St. John’s, NL, A1B 4J6
709-729-2638
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