The former political leaders, officials and the main bureaucrats are criticizing the new comprehension memora of Churchill Falls, calling him a “raffle” for the resources of Newfoundland and Labrador.
The agreement would see the province to raise more than $ 225 billion during the life of 50 years of the agreement and increase energy production in the Churchill River in almost 4,000 megawatts, largely driven by the development of the Hydroelectric Project of Gull Island.
In a letter dated August 26 and directed to Terranova and the Labrador Hydro Board, a critical group alleges that the agreement is not favorable for Newfoundland and Labrador and the terms, in half a century, is too long. The group wants the MOU to be thrown and a new agreement reached better terms.
“In our opinion, the National League Hydroelectric Board should resign if they do not stop this raffle of our people’s hydroelectric recipes,” says the letter.
The signatories include former PC Prime Minister Danny Williams, former Hydro Rollie Martin director, former NDP leader Jack Harris, former federal minister of the Liberal Cabinet Roger Simmons, the former leader of the PC, Ches Crosbie and other senior officials and business leaders.
Crosbie said the liberal government is making an error like that of 1969, when the province signed its initial agreement with Quebec for the power that flows from Churchill Falls. That agreement has long been a delicate issue among residents, some of whom have bothered movement and considered it unequal since then.
“There are no indications that they went back and tried to get out of the vision of the tunnel that Quebec imposed on them,” Crosbie told CBC News.
The letter is dated a day after a visit by Quebec François Legault, where he met with Prime Minister John Hogan To discuss the new agreement, it is expected to end in April 2026.
Terranova and Labrador Hydro spokesman Jill Pitcher said that Crown Corporation includes the importance of the agreement in which they work and have made their diligence due.
“Hydro, nor his Board, would once agree with an agreement that would reach repetition in the last 50 years,” he wrote in an email.
“We reiterate, the MOU requires that the price of Churchill Falls develop using several market rates, negotiated to ensure that prices reflect changes in market value and equity throughout the period.”
No political, says the former prime minister
Williams published his own letter publicly on Thursday, addressed to Hogan’s office.
He said that his criticisms of the Mou are not influenced by politics, but for his concerns about the future well -being of the province.
“I hope you agree that this matter deserves a significant consideration, particularly in the light of the large number of entrepreneurs of related ideas, former hydroelectric officials, bureaucrats and people of all stripes and political history, who have emerged to offer sincere criticism of the MOU,” Williams wrote.
Williams defended the Budget and Muskrat Falls Hydroelectric project when I was Prime Minister.
He said he also wrote to Prime Minister Mark Carney to express his concerns, stating that the current Mou de Churchill Falls is “extraordinarily unequal” to favor Quebec. Williams said they told him to contact Hogan directly.
Williams concluded his letter asking for a meeting with Hogan.
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