MHAs started their fall stint in the House of Assembly, predictably, shouting at each other about Muskrat Falls.
Politicians are settling in for four or five weeks in the legislature starting today, and Muskrat Falls is expected to dominate the agenda.
Liberal Leader Dwight Ball started off his line of attack during question period by demanding that the government send the project back to the Public Utilities Board for a full regulatory review.
Ball said that was a review members of the public are “so desperately requesting.”
New Democrat Leader Lorraine Michael went after the government on the same line, but also pushed for more information about when a loan guarantee from the federal government will be finalized.
“We keep hearing about the elusive loan guarantee,” Michael said, “which I expect is going to be a long time coming.”
The government, led by Premier Kathy Dunderdale and Natural Resources Minister Jerome Kennedy, argued that reams of reports on the project have provided all the information anybody should need to make up their mind.
Dunderdale said she won't accept the opposition parties asking for more information; they need to either accept or oppose the deal to develop Muskrat Falls.
“It is time for members opposite to fish or cut bait,” Dunderdale said.
At one time, politicians were supposed to be spending this week formally debating the $7.4-billion Muskrat Falls hydroelectric deal, but negotiations over the format of the debate broke down between the governing PC Party and the opposition Liberals.
Government house leader Darin King told The Telegram last week that he expects Muskrat Falls to be front and centre during the fall sitting of the House, but at the same time, it will only be one item on the agenda.
The government is expected to completely rewrite the public tendering act, and bring in legislation governing health care, justice, and other departments.
The government is saying that this year's fall sitting will likely last four or five weeks, maybe running right up until the week before Christmas.
Further coverage in Tuesday’s Telegram.
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