For immediate release
March 4, 2019
Media Advisory: NDP calls for All-Party Select Committee on rate mitigation and the future of Muskrat Falls
This week the NDP Caucus will present a Private Member’s Motion urging government to immediately strike an All-Party Select Committee on rate mitigation and the future of Muskrat Falls.
NDP House Leader Lorraine Michael (MHA, St. John’s East-Quidi Vidi) tabled the motion in the House of Assembly today. St. John’s Centre MHA Gerry Rogers seconded the motion.
The motion reads, “Be it resolved that the House of Assembly urge government to immediately strike an All-Party Select Committee to work in an open, transparent and collaborative manner on behalf of the people to identify all possible solutions for rate mitigation and the future of Muskrat Falls.”
A copy of the full motion is available below.
“The people of the province have lost confidence in government’s ability to solve this crucial and complex problem, and need and want all members of the House of Assembly to work together,” said Michael.
The NDP Caucus says the Muskrat Falls Inquiry is revealing that past and present governments made disastrous decisions leading to this financial crisis and government efforts have not resulted in practical solutions other than to direct the PUB to examine rate mitigation options.
The PUB has confirmed when Muskrat Falls power comes online in 2021, electricity rates will double to 23 cents a kilowatt hour, but alternatively, keeping current rates will create an estimated annual budget shortfall of $744 million, restricting government’s ability to provide the public services people rely on.
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For further information, contact Zaren Healey White, Director of Communications, NDP Caucus at 729-2137 (o), 693-9172 (c), or zarenhealeywhite@gov.nl.ca.
NDP Private Member’s Motion
For debate March 6, 2019
Member from St. John’s East-Quidi Vidi to move:
Whereas the PUB has confirmed when Muskrat Falls power comes online in 2021, electricity rates will double to 23 cents a kilowatt hour, but alternatively, keeping current rates will create an estimated annual budget shortfall of $744 million, restricting government’s ability to provide the public services people rely on;
And whereas the Muskrat Falls Inquiry is revealing that past and present governments made disastrous decisions leading to this financial crisis;
And whereas government efforts have not resulted in practical solutions other than to direct the PUB to examine rate mitigation options;
And whereas the PUB can only address part of what needs to be done, and experts have advised government of the work it must do immediately;
And whereas the people of the province have lost confidence in government’s ability to solve this crucial and complex problem, and need and want all members of the House of Assembly to work together;
Be it resolved that the House of Assembly urge government to immediately strike an All-Party Select Committee to work in an open, transparent and collaborative manner on behalf of the people to identify all possible solutions for rate mitigation and the future of Muskrat Falls.
Seconded by the Member for St. John’s Centre.