(Saint John) The agreement between Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador regarding Churchill Falls and Gull Island is not unanimous in the Atlantic province.
Posted at 9:59 a.m.
Sarah Smellie
The Canadian Press
For example, around fifty people participated in an NDP public meeting on Thursday to obtain answers on this agreement described as historic by the provincial government.
Many expressed doubt as to whether Newfoundland and Labrador could not obtain more concessions from the Quebec government and Hydro-Québec. Some said we should not repeat the mistakes of the past.
“It’s so important that we have to take our time and do everything correctly,” said George Power, drawing applause from the crowd. I told Prime Minister Andrew Furey that he should be ashamed of himself for making us swallow this. And if we let it happen, shame on us! »
The Legislative Assembly will resume its activities on Monday. A debate will take place about the agreement, a little more than three weeks after its announcement. Some observers believe that the opposition and the population did not have the necessary time to study it and prepare accordingly.
The agreement was announced on December 12 with great fanfare during a press conference by Prime Ministers Furey and François Legault. The Newfoundlander was proud as a peacock, in front of the crowd of provincial Liberals who applauded him.
PHOTO PAUL DALY, CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVES
The agreement was announced on December 12 with great fanfare during a press conference by Prime Ministers Furey and François Legault.
Quebecers will pay on average 30 times more for electricity from Newfoundland’s Churchill Falls dam, in Labrador, for the next 50 years, but this should not have an impact on rates.
By ending the contract in 2025, Hydro-Québec will pay 9 billion more until 2041, under the new agreement. The Crown corporation will pay a total of $33.8 billion to the Churchill Falls consortium until the end of 2075, according to the agreement in principle.
“Adjustments” could be necessary after negotiations with indigenous communities, suggested the president and CEO of Hydro-Québec, Michael Sabia, in a press conference in Montreal.
In exchange, Quebec will have access to 7,200 additional MW to meet its needs.
The MOU has been published, but it is not easy to understand. Details are scant, forcing some observers to attempt to fill in the blanks themselves. The two Crown corporations have released different data on the project. Hydro-Newfoundland and Labrador says the information it gave reflects what Hydro-Québec will pay for energy from Churchill Falls, while Hydro-Québec’s data shows what its customers will pay.
Hydro-Newfoundland and Labrador will present a series of webinars to explain the agreement, these will take place several weeks after the debate in the Legislative Assembly.
In the meantime, the provincial government has launched a promotional campaign featuring workers wearing hard hats and slogans like “our jobs, our money, our energy.”
“We are facing sophisticated propaganda,” said Byron Button, present at Thursday’s public meeting. He urged NDP Leader Jim Dinn to work with the Progressive Conservatives to ask all the necessary questions during the debate that begins Monday.
“This will require a lot of preparation. And we don’t have much time,” he lamented.
During a virtual town hall organized by the Progressive Conservatives, Kristina Ennis said she had the impression that the government does not want the population to understand the agreement.
“All he tells us is to trust him,” wrote Mme Ennis in a comment read by a moderator.
Both Mr. Dinn and Tony Wakeham, the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party, have called for an independent review of the deal. This request was well received during the two public meetings. People recalled the disastrous Muskrat Falls hydroelectric project which was not completed until 2023 after numerous delays and cost overruns. The province is still struggling to pay the bill.
The authorities indicated that many independent firms, such as JP Morgan, advised the government during the negotiations. Representatives of these firms must participate in the debate.
Mr. Dinn says he prefers to hear from experts who were not involved in the process.
“If it’s as great as everyone says, so much the better,” he told the crowd on Thursday. I sincerely hope this is a turning point for the province, but I need the vision of fresh, objective eyes. »
