Interim Opposition Leader Kelvin Parsons says Premier Danny Williams is making the same mistake his predecessors made 45 years ago when a disastrous power deal was negotiated without letting Newfoundlanders and Labradorians know what was in it until it was too late.
Parsons was reacting to Williams’ claim at the PC Party convention this weekend that he is about to announce a deal to develop part of the Lower Churchill project.
According to a news release, the Opposition says Williams offered few details on his plan to develop Muskrat Falls, the smaller of what was supposed to be two power plants. He did say it involves wheeling power using undersea cables to the island of Newfoundland and to Nova Scotia.
“We would like to know how it is possible to develop just half a project and make money on it,” Parsons said. “The cost of laying all those cables will still be in the multi-billion dollar range, but under Williams’ deal, there will be significantly smaller revenues.”
The release states that the last time Williams dealt with Emera — to sell excess power from the Upper Churchill nearly two years ago — the deal was shrouded in secrecy, Parsons noted.
“The premier never did say how much money this province made on that deal or how much of a cut Emera took.”
Parsons said the people of the province have a right to know what the premier is up to.
“Taking just any deal doesn’t mean it is a good deal,” said Parsons. “I hope the premier is not grasping at straws just for the optics of him keeping his promise to cut a deal on this project. Secrecy on this file doesn’t cut it.”
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