The Honourable John Hogan, KC, Minister of Health and Community Services and Government House Leader, will be available to the media at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, January 6, outside of the House of Assembly, to discuss the extraordinary sitting of the House of Assembly.
The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador advised the Speaker on December 17, 2024, that the public interest requires the House of Assembly to meet on an extraordinary basis in relation to the Memorandum of Understanding between Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro and Hydro-Québec. Further to that notice, the Speaker advised Members that the House of Assembly will reconvene on Monday, January 6, at 10:00 a.m. NT.
The extraordinary session is proposed to be held from Monday, January 6, to Thursday, January 9, inclusive. On these four days, the House may sit, as necessary, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., and from 6:00 p.m. 9:00 p.m.
Key members of the MOU negotiating team: Jennifer Williams, President and CEO of Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro; Walter Parsons, Vice-President, Transmission Interconnections and Business Development; and Denis Mahoney, KC, Justice and Public Safety Deputy Minister and Deputy Attorney General, will be invited as guests of the legislature. Representatives from independent expert advisors Power Advisory and JP Morgan will be invited as guests of the legislature as well.
Following consultation with the House of Assembly in relation to procedural matters and given the extraordinary nature of the debate proposed, speaking time for each Member has been at least doubled from that normally allotted for a Resolution pursuant to the Standing Orders. The Premier, the Leader of the Official Opposition, and the Leader of the Third Party will each have two hours; the Minister for Industry, Energy and Technology (IET) and the IET critic for the Official Opposition will each have two hours; and each remaining Member will have 40 minutes.
As discussed with the Opposition House Leader and the Third Party House Leader, and as requested by the Official Opposition, Members can choose to ask questions and receive answers during their allotted time (as per Estimates or Committee of the Whole), provide their own remarks during their allotted time (as per a typical Resolution), or a combination of both.
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