Why the sudden rush to sign over Churchill power to Quebec?

There appears to be an anxious urgency on the part of our government to close a deal with Quebec. Why?
The MOU has not yet been subject to “a proper independent and external review,” one of the key recommendations in the LeBlanc Inquiry on Muskrat Falls. The chairman of the Independent Review Committee, Dennis Browne, does not meet this criteria.
Another key recommendation of Justice LeBlanc states: “The public Utilities Board should review the proposed business case, reliability, cost and schedule of any large project that could potentially impact Newfoundland and Labrador electricity ratepayers.”
In early September of this year, we learned from media sources that Mike Wilson, one of the members of the Independent Oversight panel on the MOU quit his post this past May. Mr. Wilson is of the opinion that Newfoundland and Labrador can get a better deal than the one referenced in the MOU. Mr. Wilson noted other problems, as well.
With respect to this gentleman’s concerns, Premier John Hogan has stated, “I certainly think it’s appropriate now for me to reach out and say if there’s any issues with regard to independence or oversight about how they feel about their role and their mandate. I welcome those comments.”
That’s the political position. Will he, however, look into Mr. Wilson’s concerns and see if they require action or not?
The premier also said, “the most important thing, with regard to this MOU, is to be open and to be transparent.”
Let’s hope, if he is elected, Mr. Hogan will be a man of his word on openness and transparency. The last government, in which Mr. Hogan held senior positions, was one of the worst regimes for covering up and withholding information from the public.
Perhaps the heightened urgency with reaching a deal with Quebec is also related to the deepening woes of our financial situation. Finance Minister Siobhan Coady has, for years, been kicking the can down the road with respect to getting our fiscal affairs in order. The $372 million projected deficit has ballooned to $625 million; and now that Ms. Coady’s attempt to apply future payments from the Big Tobacco companies to this year’s budget revenues has been stymied by the Auditor General, the projected deficit will be close to $1 billion dollars in the next fiscal year. Is the urgency around the MOU related? If that is so, it compromises our position in dealing with Quebec.
In 15 short years the Upper Churchill contract will expire. Then, we will own it. If we continue on turning this MOU into a signed deal, Quebec will effectively own one of the largest power assets on earth. The priority should be to get our fiscal affairs in order. We have ample revenue. But we must stop spending like there is no tomorrow.
Patrick Hannaford
St. John’s, NL