The premier of Quebec says a Churchill Falls agreement is important for her province, and she cautions the Parti-Quebecois against making good on their promise to scrap the deal if there is a change in government following the upcoming Quebec election.
The agreement announced yesterday is non-binding and is scheduled to be finalized by the end of the year.
Christine Frechette was asked about what assurances she can provide that the same thing doesn’t happen in her province as just happened in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Quebec Premier Christine Frechette (CPAC)
“Our government will make sure to implement that agreement, because it brings to Quebec thousands of new MW, and we need those MW for residents, for businesses and for every region in Quebec.”
“I see that the Parti-Quebecois is interested in tearing up this agreement; they don’t want to implement it. Okay, so what do they offer to Quebeckers if it’s not this agreement? Where will they find 10,000 MW that we are bringing to Quebec with that agreement?”
Hydro-Quebec Stressing Importance of Deal Ahead of Election: La Presse
Joël-Denis Bellavance (La Presse)
La Presse reporter Joël-Denis Bellavance says it would be folly for the Parti-Quebecois to rip up the Churchill Falls deal should they win the next Quebec election.
He told the Tim Powers Show with guest host Zack Power that Churchill Falls represents 15 per cent of the electricity that flows to Quebec – but that needs to be doubled.
He says getting similar energy capacity without Newfoundland and Labrador is just not possible.
“What would be the alternatives?” Bellavance asks. “Well, they’re pretty bleak if you don’t have Newfoundland and Labrador into that solution. So it’s going to be a major push by the CAQ (Coalition Avenir du Quebec) government to make sure that this deal actually (sees) the light of day.”
Bellavance says he’s subsequently learned that the CEO of Hydro-Quebec is reaching out to party leaders in that province ahead of the provincial election to explain the importance of the deal. He says the message being given to party leaders is that “this is a win, win, win, win deal, that it’s in the best interest of Quebec and that it has to be approved.”
Bellavance says pundits in Quebec are also saying that the PQ has “no choice but to say that they will follow, and side with this deal. Otherwise they’re going to be caught in a bind, and they’re going to be bringing the whole population of Quebec with it.”
