There will be a special debate in the House of Assembly on the final Churchill Falls agreements, but it appears as though members may not get to vote on it.
Premier Tony Wakeham made the announcement Wednesday afternoon.
He says the House of Assembly already “endorsed” the Churchill Falls agreement during the September debate, referring to the deal passing with a final vote of 21-18, and that they will not be renegotiating what was already voted on.
(NL HoA/YouTube)
Wakeham says the negotiating team will host technical briefings for MHAs, and the agreements will be brought back to the legislature for a debate.
Wakeham was not clear when asked whether there will be a vote on the final agreements.
“That’s something that…you’ll have to wait and see. Right now the plan is to make sure the definitive agreements line up with what was voted on in the House of Assembly.
Fred Hutton (VOCM News file photo)
Opposition energy critic Fred Hutton says he is “upset” by government’s move, but “not surprised.”
He says the deal that 21 people voted in favour of in September is what the province is going to have to live with for the next 50 years. He says that deal does not include market-based price, or an escalator clause for Gull Island, which is “disturbing.”
