Former Premier Danny Williams yesterday addressed a conference focused on the economic and fiscal trajectory of the province.
Williams was among a variety of speakers who addressed some of the fiscal issues facing Newfoundland and Labrador, how we got there and what we can do to solve it.
Williams is perhaps best remembered for his efforts in developing Nalcor and getting the Muskrat Falls development going, a project that received sanction after he left office.
He maintains that the decisions made under his government are the key to the province’s future success, using Nalcor as an example.
“It’s no wonder,” Williams told the CARE Conference, “that rumours abound today that mainland banks and private interests are sniffing around to snap up the oil and gas division of Nalcor.”
That, he suggests, speaks to how lucrative the provincially-owned asset has become.
Williams didn’t get an easy ride.
Jenn Deon, who’s running in the St. John’s municipal election, pulled no punches in addressing the former Premier.
Deon told Williams she found it offensive the way he treated opponents to the Muskrat Falls project at the time, and was surprised that he did not acknowledge the impact to the province as a direct result of the decisions made regarding Muskrat Falls.