Premier Francois Legault says reaching a new deal on the Upper Churchill is a top priority for Quebec.

Legault hosted a gathering of New England governors and eastern Canadian premiers in Quebec City this week and Newfoundland and Labrador was at the centre of power discussions.

Legault reached out to Premier Andrew Furey expressing interest in revisiting the Upper Churchill contract finally providing hope that the inequitities of that flawed deal might be addressed.

Legault told reporters yesterday, it is a top priority.

“For me, it is very important that we be successful in these negotiations, so I want to do everything I can to close these deals,” he said referencing the Upper Churchill contract that expires in 2041 and the development of Gull Island.

Premier Furey, who it appears was finally in the catbird seat, explained the importance of renegotiating a deal that has been a long-standing bone of contention for Newfoundland and Labrador.

He says decades after the deal was done, Newfoundland and Labrador is getting 0.2 cents a kilowatt hour for power generated in this province, while Hydro Quebec sells it for up to 12 cents a kilowatt hour.