The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Dwight Ball, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador:

Mr. Speaker, I rise in this Honourable House, to acknowledge the receipt of the Muskrat Falls Inquiry Report.

As legislators, we are all keenly aware of the profound impact that the Muskrat Falls project has on ratepayers and the financial situation in Newfoundland and Labrador.

In 2017, a public inquiry was called to:

• Provide a greater understanding of whether all options were considered in the 2012 sanctioning;
• Secondly, why there are significant differences between the actual cost of the project and the estimated cost; and also
• Whether it was justified and reasonable for the project to be excluded from the Public Utilities Board oversight.

Mr. Speaker, we put a process in place to ensure all information was provided to the inquiry. Justice Richard D. LeBlanc received approximately six million documents and the report he delivered today is over 1,000 pages in length.

The Muskrat Falls inquiry was a comprehensive and detailed investigation that is of great importance to the people of our province.

I would like to thank Justice LeBlanc and everyone who participated in the inquiry, for their commitment and dedication.

Mr. Speaker, while we can’t undo the past, we can learn from it and make informed decisions as we take actions to minimize the impact of this project on current Newfoundlanders and Labradorians and for future generations.

Thank you Mr. Speaker.