The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador today announced its proposed rules for a special sitting of the House of Assembly to debate the Definitive Cooperation and Implementation Agreement for Churchill Falls and Gull Island, and the Government of Canada’s commitments associated with the agreement.

The proposed format will give Members of the House of Assembly the opportunity to hear directly from the individuals responsible for negotiating, overseeing the negotiation of, and providing independent advice on the agreement. It will allow Members to ask questions on behalf of their constituents and seek answers from those with direct knowledge of the agreement before the House votes.

For the first three days of the four-day debate, Members will have access to representatives of the negotiating team, independent commercial advisors, financial experts, representatives of the Board of Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro, the Chair of the Oversight Committee, a senior official from Natural Resources Canada, and a Member of Parliament who will address the House on matters related to the Federal Government’s commitments under the agreement.

The debate will begin with opening remarks from the Leaders of all parties, the Minister of Energy and Mines and the Opposition and Third Party critics for that portfolio, as well as the independent member for Humber-Bay of Islands, to speak on the proposed resolution. This will be followed by more than 19 hours allocated for Members to question the expert guests directly. Responses from these experts will not be restricted by speaking-time limits, allowing Members to pursue detailed lines of questioning, ask follow-up questions and seek clarification on issues important to the people of the province.

In addition to questioning the invited experts over three days, every Member of the House will receive a dedicated 10-minute period for closing remarks on the final day of debate. This will give Members an opportunity to reflect on the information they have heard, address questions raised by their constituents and explain their position before the House votes on the resolution pertaining to the new agreement and commitments from the Government of Canada.

Each day of the four-day debate will also have a dedicated question period where members can ask questions of government relevant to the resolution being debated.

The special sitting will take place from September 14 to September 17, 2026. Debate on the resolution will be the sole business before the House during that period. The proposed rules of debate can be found here.

Quotes
“This debate is about ensuring Newfoundlanders and Labradorians get answers on a historic agreement between our province and Quebec and the Federal Government, rather than political talking points. The proposed format will give every Member of the House direct access to the people who negotiated the agreement and those providing independent advice on it. Members will have the opportunity to ask detailed questions, seek clarification and get answers directly from the people best positioned to provide them. That information will help Members make an informed decision on behalf of their constituents.”
Honourable Tony Wakeham
Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador

“Some have suggested this approach limits debate. The opposite is true. Over 19 hours of time are allocated for questions from Members, with responses from the expert participants not restricted by speaking-time limits. Members will have the opportunity to challenge assumptions, test the evidence and seek detailed explanations directly from experts, advisors, negotiators and federal representatives. This provides a level of examination that traditional debate formats simply do not. It is our hope that all parties will accept these rules so the debate can proceed without delay and Members can make the most of the time available to question the people best positioned to provide the answers Newfoundlanders and Labradorians deserve.”
Honourable Lloyd Parrott
Government House Leader

-30-