Former premier Andrew Furey has given the green light for Premier Tony Wakeham and has cabinet to access the 2041 Churchill River Management Expert Panel Report.
Wakeham wrote Furey yesterday, outlining that the document is protected by cabinet confidence by the former administration, but that his cabinet needs access as they complete a review of the MOU and figure out how to move forward.
Furey granted Wakeham’s request last night, saying that given the “commercial sensitivities and negotiating intelligence embedded in the report” he trusts that it will be given the same level of confidence as government deliberates.
Furey argues that confidence is important because if the contents of the report were made public, it “could materially affect Newfoundland and Labrador’s position now or decades from now, should (they) choose not to proceed.”
Furey says he would be pleased to discuss the file with Wakeham, and he encourages him to speak with the co-authors of the report, as well as lead negotiators Karl Smith and Jennifer Williams.
