Muskrat Falls Project Proposal
The NL NDP caucus is circulating a petition calling on the House of Assembly to return the Muskrat Falls project proposal to the Public Utilities Board (PUB).
Interested members of the public are invited to contact our office, and are welcome to circulate the petition and collect signatures.
For more information, please contact our offices:
Email: ndpinfo@gov.nl.ca
Phone: 709-729-0270
Fax: 709-576-1443
Please return your signed petitions to our office by mail or in person:
Confederation Building
3rd Floor, East Block
P.O. Box 8700
St. John's, NL
A1B 4J6
***Please note that the House of Assembly does not accept digital or faxed copies of petitions, you must return the original petition for submission***
The text of the petition is as follows:
RETURN MUSKRAT FALLS TO PUB PETITION
TO THE HONOURABLE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY OF THE PROVINCE OF NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLED the petition of the undersigned residents of Newfoundland and Labrador, Humbly Sheweth;
Whereas the Board of Commissioners of Public Utilities (PUB) is the entity responsible for the regulation of electric utilities in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador; and
Whereas the Muskrat Falls project proposal is potentially the single largest expenditure the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador has considered; and
Whereas the PUB is an independent, quasi-judicial regulatory body capable of providing an unbiased and apolitical decision on the Muskrat Falls proposal; and
Whereas Government is breaking its own commitment to greater transparency and accountability by not allowing the PUB to review the Muskrat Falls proposal;
WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the House of Assembly to urge Government to mandate the Board of Commissioners of Public Utilities to review the Muskrat Falls project proposal along with any and all alternatives available for meeting our energy needs.
And as in duty bound your petitioners will ever pray.
NDP Position
The NL NDP is in favour of any development that is economically viable, environmentally sustainable, and to the benefit of all residents in Newfoundland and Labrador.
To date, government has been unable – or unwilling – to answer dozens of questions raised about the Muskrat Falls project proposal.
The government continues to push their Muskrat Falls agenda forward while discouraging all debate and discussion around alternatives.
Some of the main concerns around this project proposal include:
- Only one configuration of the 'Isolated Island Option' has been presented, when in fact there are many options.
- The forecasts for energy demand do not take into account the energy efficiency programs ongoing in the province and when discussing future energy needs government is using inflammatory language that does nothing to get at the facts of the situation.
- The Joint Review Panel report contains 83 recommendations; this report is being dismissed by Government.
- This project proposal is being rushed by government, at the detriment of sound policy debate in the House of Assembly and in Committee.
The NL NDP will continue to ask questions about this project proposal. We will seek answers to the many questions that surround the proposal while exploring the many alternatives and policies needed for a sound energy plan.
