The Honourable John Hogan, KC, Minister of Health and Community Services and Government House Leader, along with the Honourable Andrew Parsons, KC, Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology, announced that the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador will create a new independent, expert panel to provide additional oversight of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Hydro-Quebec.

The ministers made the announcement in partnership with the two members of the Third Party, NDP Leader and MHA for St. John’s Centre Jim Dinn and MHA for Labrador West Jordan Brown, and the two Independent Members, Mount Pearl-Southlands MHA Paul Lane and Humber-Bay of Islands MHA Eddie Joyce. The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador worked with the members to reach this agreement on the new, independent, expert oversight panel.

The panel will be led by the Consumer Advocate, and will:

• Review the MOU and progress towards Definitive Agreements.
• Provide advice to Cabinet.
• Provide summaries to the public and to the House of Assembly in a manner that respects commercial sensitivities, privilege, and does not jeopardize the Provincial Government’s negotiations. These summaries shall be provided on a quarterly basis.

The Consumer Advocate will be provided with necessary funding to provide this oversight, and shall appoint a panel of three persons, including the Consumer Advocate as Chairperson. The Consumer Advocate shall submit a list of candidates to the Provincial Government for review and appropriate vetting. The Provincial Government shall return a list of all qualified candidates, from which the Consumer Advocate shall select two additional members for the panel.

The Consumer Advocate for Newfoundland and Labrador is a statutory officer and represents the interests of domestic and general service customers in relation to specific hearings and applications before the Public Utilities Board. The appointment of the Consumer Advocate follows the merit-based appointment process led by the Independent Appointments Commission.

Quotes
“Independent review of the negotiations with Hydro-Quebec was a critical component in reaching this historic Memorandum of Understanding and will continue to play an important role in getting the most out of future negotiations toward definitive agreements. I thank our colleagues in the House of Assembly for working with us to develop a strong framework for this additional independent oversight going forward.”
Honourable John Hogan, KC
Minister of Health and Community Services and Government House Leader

“We all want to ensure that we do not repeat mistakes of the past and that definitive agreements with Hydro-Quebec provide the best deal possible for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. By engaging the consumer advocate to chair a new, independent expert panel to oversee the ongoing negotiations, we can be confident that the important need for independent oversight of this historic deal for our province is achieved.”
Honourable Andrew Parsons, KC
Minister of Industry, Energy, and Technology

“We were very clear about the need for independent oversight and what that independent oversight would look like to ensure the MOU is the best deal possible. We listened to the concerns raised by many and could not vote for the MOU without a truly arm’s-length committee set up to review and report quarterly to the House of Assembly and the public. We constructively worked with government to get this agreement on behalf of the people of the province.”
Jim Dinn
Leader of the NDP and MHA for St. John’s Centre

“I am very pleased to be part of today’s announcement relating to the establishment of an independent oversight panel to review this historic MOU. It demonstrates that as members, we can achieve better outcomes for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador when we work together. We have a tremendous opportunity before us, and it is critical that we get it right this time. I believe that this additional layer of oversight will assist us in doing just that.”
Paul Lane
MHA for Mount Pearl – Southlands

“The people of the province and Humber-Bay of Islands expect all of us to work together to make this province a better place for the residents. I am very pleased to work with the government members, NDP members and Mr. Lane to add an extra layer of confidence with an independent oversight panel. This panel will ensure that the MOU is a sound foundation with guardrails to protect our interest and ensure negotiations follow the MOU guiding principles and report back to the House of Assembly and to the public on their oversight review.”
Eddie Joyce
MHA for Humber-Bay of Islands

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Learn more
Learn more about this historic MOU by visiting Ourchapter.ca.

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