Please be advised that this is a PARTIALLY EDITED portion of the House of Assembly sitting for Question Period on Wednesday, May 20, 2026. The edited Hansard will be posted when it becomes available.

The entire audio/visual record of the House proceedings is available online within one hour of the House rising for the day. This can be accessed at: https://www.assembly.nl.ca/HouseBusiness/Webcast/archive.aspx

Oral Questions

SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.

J. HOGAN: You timed it well, Speaker.

Speaker, it is important that the public hear from the Churchill Falls panel. What is also important is that we’re able to see their work. Who did they talk to? Who provided evidence? What did they say? The public needs to know how the conclusions were reached in order to have confidence in the recommendations that are in the report.

So will the Premier, the leader of this province, insist that the information be provided to the public?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER WAKEHAM: Speaker, the real issue here is not the panel. It’s the MOU that the former Liberal government signed and defended that looked exactly like and contained like the 1969 agreement. That’s the problem. An MOU that we now realize needed more power, more transmission and more value.

Let me quote from the IRC report that says that it concludes – and I’ll read it – the IRC concludes that despite the benefits, the MOU in its current form is not in the public interest. I was glad to hear that the Leader of the Opposition agrees with that recommendation.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.

J. HOGAN: Speaker, with all due respect, this government has moved on from the MOU so it is about the report, it is about what the panel has said. If that’s what they’re going to rely on to get the negotiations going with Hydro-Québec, it is so important that everybody knows what was in that report.

So, Speaker, kids in school, in elementary school, learn you have to show your work or you don’t get full marks. So why won’t the Premier make sure that this panel shows their work to the public?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER WAKEHAM: Once again, Speaker, let me talk about the MOU that the Members opposite voted for when they were in government that saddled the future generations that he just spoke about with amazing debt.

Let me quote the independent review again: The government required terms that were leading to unpaid debt and equity balances at the end of the PPA, creating risk for the shareholders and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. Page 27, Speaker, and we all know the shareholders are Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. Why don’t he tell the people of the province why they voted for the MOU?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.

J. HOGAN: The Premier may not realize he’s making my point for me. He’s reading out information that we have no idea where it came from. Who provided that information? Who spoke to the panelists? How did they get that information?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

J. HOGAN: What were the discussions?

SPEAKER: Order, please!

J. HOGAN: We don’t know any of this. All we know is we have a document from three people who won’t speak to the public because the Premier won’t let them. We have information that we don’t know where it came from.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

J. HOGAN:  So if the Premier wants to rely on the report, on this panel, why –

SPEAKER: Order, please!

J. HOGAN: – won’t he insist, as Premier of this province, that the information he’s quoting be disclosed to the public?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER WAKEHAM: Speaker, the information I’m quoting is in the MOU. That’s the point.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER WAKEHAM: We’re talking about an MOU that they all voted for. Let’s talk about that for a second, Speaker. Let’s talk about the two per cent escalator clause and the $30 billion debt after the amortization period.

They turned around, did not listen to their own negotiators, did not listen to their own financial advisors, and yet voted for an MOU that contained that very information. I ask the Member opposite again, go take a look at page 27.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.

J. HOGAN: Speaker, I wish the Premier was this concerned about the MOU when we debated it in the House of Assembly. He’s talked more in the last three minutes than he ever did in the last year and a half about the MOU.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

J. HOGAN: Transparency and accountability are crucial when dealing with matters of such long-term significance to our province. Guess what, those aren’t my words; those are the words of the Premier when he was on the other side of the House. We held an unprecedented debate in this House with our negotiators and experts on this deal.

On what date will the Premier live up to his words, open the House and let Newfoundlanders and Labradorians hear what the panel has heard, so everyone knows where this government stands on this deal?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER WAKEHAM: Once again, Speaker, I would ask that the Members opposite, maybe if they had to take a closer look at the MOU themselves, they wouldn’t have signed it. Now says, no it’s not good enough. It’s great to hear the Leader of the Opposition say it’s not good enough. I appreciate that, but they shouldn’t have signed it in the first place.

At the end of the PPA due to both the two per cent revenue escalation and misaligned 65-year amortization, there will be a debt in dividends and equity obligations of over $30 billion, repeating the failures of the 1969 contracts.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

SPEAKER: Order, please!

PREMIER WAKEHAM: That’s exactly what this bunch over there were about to do. So do they even know what they voted for when they voted –

SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier’s time has expired.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.

J. HOGAN: Yes, Speaker, when we voted and we did our job as MHAs we knew exactly what we were doing.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

J. HOGAN: As the Premier moves forward –

SPEAKER: Order, please!

J. HOGAN: – with the new deal –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

SPEAKER: Order, please!

I’m going to start naming people again.

The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.

J. HOGAN: As the Premier moves forward toward a new deal with Hydro-Québec, if he gets that deal, will this new deal be reviewed by an independent panel which will be accountable to the public?

SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER WAKEHAM: Speaker, let me address some of the preamble. Let me tell you what the former government did, they interfered during negotiations. They went over the head of their own negotiators. They didn’t follow the advice of their own advisors. They interfered to the detriment of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. They forced terms for political gain which resulted in not my words, Mr. Speaker, but the words of the report, a riskier and more expensive deal, Speaker. Did the Members opposite even know what they were voting for?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.

J. HOGAN: Speaker, at some point in time the Premier is going to have to take responsibility for the future of this province and the deal with Hydro-Québec.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

SPEAKER: Order, please!

J. HOGAN: Speaker, a new deal will be different from what this panel reviewed. Given the Premier’s stance on reviews and how important they are, how can the public be assured that any deal he signs, if it’s not reviewed is in the best interest of the province?

SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER WAKEHAM: Speaker, we have done exactly what we said we were going to do. We hired an independent review committee –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

SPEAKER: Order, please!

PREMIER WAKEHAM: – we hired an independent review committee, they presented a report. They clearly have outlined where this –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

SPEAKER: Order, please!

I’m not asking for order again. I’m serious. Members are going to be named, speaking privileges are going to be taken away. I’ve had enough.

The Premier.

PREMIER WAKEHAM: Speaker, we have clearly identified how we’re going to move forward. We’re going to move forward and look for more power, more transmission and more value for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador, because they are the people that deserve this and they are the people who we are working for in this institution and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.

J. HOGAN: Speaker, if we’re going to look for more power, more transmission and more money, I ask, because Hydro-Québec said this yesterday, no agreement will be reached on terms that are less favourable then in the MOU.

Given that the Premier has said what he will be looking for, what is he prepared to give up in a deal with Quebec?

SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER WAKEHAM: Speaker, unlike the Member opposite, we’re not going to sign a deal like 1969. We’re going to sign a deal that actually does what I just said we were going to do. We will get more power, we will get more value and we will get transmission and maybe like the last MOU, we will not be forced to simply sell our power to Quebec for the next 50 years like they agreed to, in the MOU.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.

J. HOGAN: Speaker, if they get more power and more transmission rights then I ask what will Hydro-Québec ask for? Are we going to give up the risk of the cost overruns and make sure that Muskrat Falls will happen again and we will take responsibility for the overruns? Are we going to give up more money that we were getting when the electricity crosses the border from Labrador into Quebec?

If we get more, we have to give something up, so tell Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, Premier, what you are prepared to give up.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Energy and Mines.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

L. PARROTT: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I tell you what we’re not going to do. We’re not going to negotiate in public. We’re not going to sign away the future of Newfoundland and Labrador. We’re not going to forget about Newfoundlanders and Labradorians like these guys did. A 2 per cent escalator clause is going to cost the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador $30 billion at the end of the agreement and they sold it. They oversold and underdelivered and they tried to convince the public that this was something that it wasn’t. Now they’re ashamed and embarrassed that they signed it.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.

J. HOGAN: Speaker, if the report is a roadmap to a future deal, can the Premier confirm that everything recommended in this report will find a way into a deal if he gets one?

SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Energy and Mines.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

L. PARROTT: The roadmap to the deal that this Premier is going to sign started in 1969 when they failed to deliver for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador – when they started off on a gravel road with the bumps and never put a culvert in. The roadmap that this Premier is going to sign, when we get the deal, is one that’s going to look after Newfoundlanders and Labradorians and our future. It’s going to secure electricity so we can develop our resources and be the primary beneficiaries.

They didn’t even look at the economic outcomes. Don’t take my word. Look at the report. It’s clearly written in there. They didn’t look at the economic outcomes. They put in an escalation clause that would cost us money. Now they don’t want the report to be put there public. They failed.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.

J. HOGAN: This is an important question, Speaker, so I ask it again. Rather than deflecting away, will everything that’s recommended in the report make its way into a deal if the Premier gets one?

SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Energy and Mines.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

L. PARROTT: I would say, anyone that’s watching the House this afternoon is wondering why they failed. I can tell you why they failed – because if you listen to the questions that he’s asking, he wants a government to publicly negotiate a deal and tell people what they’re going to do. Show their hand upfront and then go ask for – it’s not how it works. We are going to negotiate the best deal possible and I can tell you what. It doesn’t even have to be very –

SPEAKER: I ask the Member for Gander for your co-operation.

L. PARROTT: (Inaudible) but it’s going to be a hell of a lot better.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.

J. HOGAN: So since they’re not going to rely on the report that they said they were going to rely on that was the most important part of their election campaign, a report that they’ve made public.

What was the point of it if it’s not going to be the roadmap to a new deal?

SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER WAKEHAM: Speaker, I don’t know if the Members opposite heard me yesterday when I talked about how we would take this report and we would use it as the emphasis, as the roadmap for, actually, getting a new deal and a better deal for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Maybe he missed that. Maybe he missed the fact that we’ve already appointed a new negotiating team that’s already in place, that’s already doing the work. Maybe he missed the fact that we’ve turned around and started to already do an analysis on the financial and economic benefits for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador, so when we start our negotiations, we will be ready to deliver for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.

J. HOGAN: Thank you, Speaker.

As the province waited for this report, we lost seven months of negotiating time. Can the Premier guarantee that any new deal will include retroactive payments back to January 2025?

SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Energy and Mines.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

L. PARROTT: Almost 60 years, the people in Newfoundland and Labrador lost because of the last deal they signed. So, seven months, we’re not too concerned about that.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

L. PARROTT: Mr. Speaker, if you want to talk about the path forward with this deal, we have done exactly what we said we were going to do.

We have done an analysis; instead of hiding stuff away, secret votes, saying they didn’t do it, misleading the public with false claims, how their going to deliver – false claims right from the very first day that they presented this MOU. One day it’s a deal; one day it’s not, and the next day it’s a framework. They don’t know what they even signed.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Conception Bay East - Bell Island.

F. HUTTON: Thank you, Speaker.

I’ll remind the minister opposite that I was three, apparently, when I signed the deal in 1969. But I can tell you, I spent most of my life waiting for the moment to get an MOU, as every other Premier did, to try to get it changed.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

F. HUTTON: We brought it to this point.

So I ask the Premier, Quebec media are reporting that Hydro-Québec is now looking at options to meet growing power demand without Newfoundland and Labrador, what options is the Premier looking at in case we lose this opportunity? Are they considering taking all the risk, as they did with Muskrat Falls? Is that why he has hired Danny Williams’s people to surround him and advise him, including one who said Muskrat Falls would pay for itself?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER WAKEHAM: Speaker, again, I don’t if the hon. Member heard the news yesterday from the Premier of Quebec, who talked about the fact that we’ve already had discussions; who talked about the opportunities that are there for both Newfoundland and Quebec; who talked about the fact that we will get together again and talk about how we move forward into a new agreement.

Maybe they missed all that, Speaker, but the people of Newfoundland and Labrador haven’t missed it. They recognize that the MOU that the former Liberal government signed did not provide the value that Newfoundlanders and Labradorians deserve.

We’re going to fix that. We’re going to get a better deal. We are negotiating. We are prepared to negotiate with the province of Quebec, and they’re certainly prepared to negotiate with us.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Conception Bay East - Bell Island.

F. HUTTON: Thank you, Speaker.

I did hear the Premier of Quebec, and I heard the Premier of Quebec a few months ago, when she first met with the Premier when he was first elected, say that if we want to change the deal, then they’ll be changing their side of it too. So as our leader asked, what will they have to give up in order to get more?

The Quebec government has also said they’re already making alternative plans. How will the Premier explain to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador who need more money now for health care, roads and public safety as they promised, but he squanders this money.

SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Energy and Mines.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

L. PARROTT: What the Premier is doing is called leading. They should probably take a page out of his book because they certainly didn’t when they were over here.

Mr. Speaker, the Member across stands here and he talks about transparency and a path forward. We have planned every step of the way. This has been ongoing since we came into power. We didn’t give away 106 Airport Road, we didn’t give away Kenmount Road, any of Snow’s Lane, any of the things that this former Member admittedly did all on his own, and he’s standing up talking about integrity. We will get the best deal based on something that they could not do.

SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the minister’s time has expired.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Virginia Waters - Pleasantville.

B. DAVIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Small businesses across our province apply for jobs under the provincial summer students’ program. Now after applying, they were told they’re not eligible. Why did the minister waste everyone’s time asking them to apply when he had no intention of awarding them any funding or jobs?

SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Jobs and Growth, and Rural Development.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

L. PADDOCK: Mr. Speaker, our government is very proud to support summer students right across every bay and community in Newfoundland and Labrador. The Summer Employment Program is open. Those applicants that submitted applications and were unsuccessful, they’re now going into a queue for as funding becomes available.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Virginia Waters - Pleasantville.

B. DAVIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Definitely not for all of us; definitely not for some small businesses.

Mr. Speaker, as an example, for the first time in years, Labrador Straits Historical Development Corporation, called the gateway to the North, were not awarded funding for summer students.

What does the minister have to say to groups like this across our province who has relied on this funding for decades?

SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Jobs and Growth, and Rural Development.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

L. PADDOCK: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Speaker, in addition to the summer employment program, like I said, the program is open, still ongoing, there’s also a Newfoundland wage subsidy program that’s open to commercial entities. We will continue to review opportunities to support all businesses across Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Virginia Waters - Pleasantville.

B. DAVIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I think that was not-for-profits, not small businesses. The first question was small businesses.

Mr. Speaker, in Estimates we learned the minister’s department hasn’t begun drafting the 2026-2031 population growth strategy, as promised by the blue book.

How can the minister claim population growth is a priority when he is already behind on his own deadline?

SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Jobs, Growth and Rural Development.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

L. PADDOCK: Mr. Speaker, our government is not behind on anything. We are leading. We are developing a plan, and that’s what we are doing with population growth, as we are doing with rural economic development. You plan, and then you execute. That’s something that I wish the other side had learned when they were in power.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Virginia Waters - Pleasantville.

And I’m asking all Members for your co-operation.

B. DAVIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for the protection.

Speaking of leading, in Estimates, the Minister of Jobs claimed labour issues for massive projects like the Bay du Nord and the floating dry dock are not his responsibility. His department is literally called Jobs, Growth and Rural Development. If it’s not his responsibility in this province for the biggest employment opportunities, who is?

SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Jobs, Growth and Rural Development.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

L. PADDOCK: Mr. Speaker, as we saw in both the Throne Speech and in the budget, our government is focused on our traditional industries and creating new industries for Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

L. PADDOCK: Right across our province. Those will come with labour needs, and those labour needs are across government, and we will look to execute on all of it, for all of us.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Gander.

B. FORD: Thank you, Speaker.

We’re told that Celebrate NL is being dissolved and folded into the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation, however the $5 million budget it has traditionally been allocated did not follow into the department.

How will the minister secure private-sector sponsorship of major events without the flexibility of this Crown corporation?

SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

A. BARBOUR: Speaker, before I start to answer the question, I just want to say that the CCM Awards are going to be here in Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John’s, in September of 2027. I’m super excited about that.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

A. BARBOUR: And our government is supporting that through what was Celebrate NL, we are giving $1.3 million –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

A. BARBOUR: – and in the absorption of Celebrate NL into TCAR, there will not be any changes in the grants.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Harbour Grace - Port de Grave.

P. PARSONS: Thank you, Speaker.

Speaker, the courts are still closed in regions of this province and therefore small claims matters cannot get started.

Does the minister have a plan to help or compensate individuals who missed a limitation period because there was no access to the courts to file a claim?

SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Justice and Public Safety.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

H. CONWAY OTTENHEIMER: Thank you, Speaker.

I can say, first of all, that we are very encouraged by all of the efforts that have been made with respect to the court working group. We know that through investments that we have made in our budget, which it’s interesting that the Member opposite neglects to acknowledge any of those investments, especially with respect to the courts, that we are going to be able to see improvements throughout the entire justice system including the courts in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

We’re very excited about these investments. We’re looking forward to seeing the courts roll out in terms of the operations of the courts and we look forward to that.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Harbour Grace - Port de Grave.

P. PARSONS: Speaker, the minister can say all she wants, the courts are still not open, those are the facts and if she was listening to her working group, Speaker, she would have supported sheriff’s officers in the budget, but I digress.

Does the minister plan to compensate people who aren’t able to recover money that they are owed for long periods of time, because they can’t get a trail or a judgment while the courts are closed?

SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Justice and Public Safety.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

H. CONWAY OTTENHEIMER: Speaker, I can say with respect to the court issue and I think another important point has been overlooked and I think we need to acknowledge the masters of deflection that the Member opposite and the former administration engage in. This total lack of any responsibility for the actions that they, while they were in government, for 10 years, that has to be acknowledged in order to be genuine.

But I also would like to address the preamble, when it comes to the sheriff’s officers. I have been meeting with NAPE and with officials there, with respect to improving the situation on recruitment of sheriff’s officers and we’re looking forward to progress on that as well.

Thank you, Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. John’s East - Quidi Vidi.

S. O’LEARY: Speaker, shamefully, we continue to see heritage buildings torn down, not just in my District of St. John’s East - Quidi Vidi but in communities across the province. Once these buildings are gone, they are lost forever. Heritage Newfoundland and Labrador, alongside community members, historians and folklorists continue fighting to preserve stories, culture and identity that these places represent.

So I ask the minister: Will government ensure meaningful financial incentives under the Historic Resources Act so that communities can, actually, afford to keep up these historic buildings?

SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Tourism, Culture, Arts, and Recreation.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

A. BARBOUR: Speaker, that was a great question. Our historic properties and our heritage homes are very, very important to our culture and our heritage here in Newfoundland and Labrador. We do have two separate pots that we can work with here. We have the heritage homes and we have the Historic Sites.

Heritage homes can be applied for by people, residents of personal property. Private property owners can apply for this to get grants to get their homes recognized and then these grants can be used for maintenance and restoration.

We also have Historic Sites and we have Historic Buildings and these Historic Sites; they go from a –

SPEAKER: The minister’s time is expired.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.

J. DINN: Thank you, Speaker.

Speaker, during Estimates, the Minister of Mines and Energy said that if the Churchill Falls MOU doesn’t proceed government is considering all kinds of opportunities to send power to Labrador such as the expansion of Bay d’Espoir, wind opportunities, Gull Island, expansion of Churchill Falls I and II, thermal generation and, best of all, rediverting power from Muskrat Falls. All these require construction of a transmission line – something actually contemplated in the MOU.

So will the Premier admit that other than a list of this brainstorming exercise, his government has no plan to get power to Labrador for economic expansion?

SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Energy and Mines.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

L. PARROTT: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

While this Premier had the foresight to understand that the MOU was flawed and that it didn’t present proper economic opportunities, that it would cost Newfoundlanders and Labradorians an immense amount of money at the end. That was really no different than what Joey’s Liberals and the current-day Joey Liberals want to decide from 1949 –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

SPEAKER: Order, please!

L. PARROTT: He had an Independent Review Panel come out with the solutions as how we make this better while that Member voted in support of it.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Third Party – quick question.

J. DINN: Thank you.

That’s true, we voted. We did.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

J. DINN: We did our job.

No, a simple question –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

J. DINN: A simple question: In light of the fact –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

SPEAKER: Order, please!

J. DINN: In light of the fact that people received their power bills yesterday – and thank god for rate mitigation – what measures will the Premier take to make sure that rate mitigation continues beyond 2030?

SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

C. PARDY: I would inform my hon. colleague that we do take and realize the affordability in Newfoundland and Labrador, that is one option when we’re looking at relief within the hydroelectricity and what residents pay. There are many levers that we can use as well and we’re cognizant and we are discussing as far as future affordability measures within the government – good governance.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Humber - Bay of Islands.

E. JOYCE: The health care system is critically strained and it is imperative to continue improving the level of health care throughout our province. The Western region is facing many challenges, and any disruption or changes in our patient care delivery can have an impact.

It is my understanding that, in the coming weeks, there will be a disruption of kidney related referrals at Western Memorial Regional Hospital, where patients are being referred to St. John’s for initial assessment, with follow-ups and treatments being held at Western Memorial. Any changes like this will result in patients from the West Coast having to wait for longer assessments and having to incur expenses.

I ask the minister: Are you aware of these changes in procedure, and what is being done regarding recruitment efforts at Western Memorial for additional doctors for Western Newfoundland?

SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

L. EVANS: Speaker, I’d like to thank the MHA for Humber - Bay of Islands for his question. It’s a very good question. In actual fact, two parts to it.

First off, I wasn’t aware of any referrals to St. John’s, but that’s an important issue and that will be looked into. Also, Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services do have a recruit rate now for NLHS for Western Zone to make sure that they can meet the needs. Right now, they’re not aware of any patients being turned away, Speaker.

I will look into what the Member asked me about patients being referred to St. John’s. We will actually take action to try to get this taken care of –

SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. minister’s time is expired.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Humber - Bay of Islands.

E. JOYCE: I thank the minister for that answer and looking into it.

Mr. Speaker, the MSC has awarded the contract for the demolition and removal of the Baltic III in Lark Harbour. Starting July 1, I’ve been advised that 500 trucks filled with steel will be travelling along Route 450 to Stephenville. There is some work being carried out on Route 450 by your department this summer, which is the paving and ditching.

I ask the minister: Will your department contact and work with the contractors to coordinate the slated work by your department this summer and ensure that any damage to Route 450 due to the salvage operations will be repaired by the insurance company or your department?

SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure for a quick response. We’re running out of time on the clock here.

B. PETTEN: Okay, Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

B. PETTEN: I thank the Member for the question. It’s kind of news to me, but anywhere there’s insurance companies trucking that material and it’s going to do damage to our roads, that causes me concern so I will ask officials to check with that insurance company.

I don’t think us, as a province, should have to pay for it but I do believe the insurance companies trucking over our roads causing damage, it should be their responsibility. I’ll have officials look into it for you.

Thank you.

Please be advised that this is a PARTIALLY EDITED portion of the House of Assembly sitting for Question Period on Wednesday, May 20, 2026. The edited Hansard will be posted when it becomes available.