The official opposition wants answers on what it calls a “double standard” for mega projects being developed in the province.
Last night the provincial government announced the details of an agreement with Equinor on the Bay du Nord Project.
In the House of Assembly before that announcement was made, Liberal MHA Fred Hutton questioned Energy Minister Lloyd Parrott about whether there will be a debate on the Bay du Nord agreement, and whether the deal will be subject to a review by an independent panel.
When Parrott would make no such commitments, Hutton asked what the “double standard” is for multi-billion mega projects in the province, referencing how the PCs asked for similar things regarding the Churchill Falls MOU.
Liberal leader John Hogan then cited comments made about the Bay du Nord Project by Premier Tony Wakeham when he was a PC leadership candidate, in which he said a full debate should be had before any deal is signed. “So why won’t the premier commit to the debate that he himself demanded?”
To that Parrott says “I’ll remind (the opposition) of all the debates we had on Bay du Nord while they were in power. The other thing I’ll remind you(of), is that the same member who just stood here hired his own buddy, ignored the LeBlanc report during the MOU. They presented an MOU that was full of falsities and now they’re going back and that’s what they want us to do? We’re not going to make those same mistakes.”
No Mention of Topsides Work in Announcement, says Hutton
Illustration of the floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) unit and tiebacks to oilfields. (Equinor)
The Liberals also say the PCs are breaking their campaign promise that Newfoundland and Labrador would receive its “fair share” of topsides work on the Bay du Nord project.
In their announcement last night, the PCs provided no clarity on topsides work, instead announcing plans to build a dry dock, which Trades NL argues would generate more jobs over time.
Fred Hutton, November 2025 (VOCM News)
Energy and mines critic Fred Hutton says there’s no guarantee of what the project could bring.
“What isn’t here today are definitive answers on whether or not they’re going to get the topsides work done here,” he told reporters.
“I remember in the election campaign, Tony Wakeham and Lloyd Parrott saying that there would be no deal unless there was 70 per cent of the topside work done here. What we got today was a commitment that we get to bid on some of that work.”
