Nova Scotia families deserve transparency on power rates from NDP

HALIFAX, NS - Progressive Conservative leader Jamie Baillie is calling on the NDP government to immediately commit to a proper, Nova Scotia cost-benefit analysis for the Muskrat Falls megaproject, which should have been done in the first place.

“Discussions have been extended so the NDP should use this opportunity to conduct an analysis on the megaproject, but they refuse,” said Baillie. “It is this government’s responsibility to look after Nova Scotia families by making sure they are getting the best deal possible, and so they can see, with certainty, why this project is the right choice.”

Nova Scotia ratepayers are expected to contribute $1.2 billion to the megaproject but yesterday, Premier Darrell Dexter told media that he won't do a cost-benefit analysis. Dexter said “Newfoundland and Labrador have already done a cost-benefit analysis” and indicated the Nova Scotia government is not going to “re-do the math”.

Baillie says that is an irresponsible excuse for the Premier to use when talking about such a significant investment of ratepayers money. Nova Scotia families deserve to know from their elected government, not the government of Newfoundland and Labrador, that this is the best deal for them.

“Families would not make a large investment, such as buying a house without doing their homework first,” said Baillie. “Instead, the NDP won’t let families see what they're getting for their money or how this investment stacks up against other possible power projects and that’s wrong.”

Baillie says a PC government will put all megaprojects and possible generation options through a thorough analysis and share the results with all Nova Scotians so they can decide which project they can support.

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