"J ohn Hogan is doing his best to make the ballot question in Newfoundland and Labrador's upcoming election all about the province's energy future. In mid-September, as the premier greeted voters in Happy Valley-Goose Bay-a regional service town in central Labrador-he made a vow. If his Liberal government is re-elected on October 14, he'll ensure the proposed redevelopment of the massive Churchill Falls hydroelectric project goes ahead, turbo-charging the provincial economy and righting a decades-long dispute with neighbouring Quebec."
"The Labrador project and a tentative new development deal with Quebec are vital to provincial coffers, promising to unlock hundreds of billions in new revenue and creating an estimated 8,000 new jobs, radically transforming the economic outlook of a province that, five years ago, was flirting with financial disaster. By centring his campaign around Churchill Falls, Hogan is hoping all these promised riches will be enough to win the Liberals their fourth consecutive mandate."
"He hasn't had much time to drive the message home or endear himself to voters: the provincial election was called mid-September. And Hogan has been in the premier's chair just a few short months, taking the reins after the shock resignation of Andrew Furey, the popular orthopedic surgeon who navigated the province through the choppy waters of the COVID-19 pandemic and signed the new Churchill Falls memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Quebec premier François Legault in 2024."
John Hogan has made the Churchill Falls hydroelectric redevelopment the central issue of the provincial election, tying it to job creation and large revenue gains. A tentative development deal with Quebec is presented as key to unlocking hundreds of billions in potential revenue and creating about 8,000 jobs, shifting the province's economic prospects. Hogan seeks a fourth consecutive Liberal mandate on that promise while facing limited time in office after Andrew Furey's resignation. The Progressive Conservatives also support Churchill Falls but demand greater transparency and emphasize health and crime as alternative voter concerns.
Read at The Walrus
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