The inside of the powerhouse at the Churchill Falls hydroelectric station in Churchill Falls, N.L. is shown on Nov. 20, 2009. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Kevin Bissett
The inside of the powerhouse at the Churchill Falls hydroelectric station in Churchill Falls, N.L. is shown on Nov. 20, 2009. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Kevin Bissett
In a letter first reported by , Michael Wilson criticized the Churchill River Oversight Panel for doing a detailed review of the energy deal without releasing its findings.
The panel was established by Newfoundland and Labrador's Liberal government earlier this year after opposition parties called for an independent third-party review of the memorandum of understanding for the new energy deal.
The former EY executive says he no longer believes the panel's reports would meet the public’s expectations for analysis informed by full and frank commentary.
An emailed statement from the panel's three remaining members says it does not release details of its findings because of the commercial confidentiality of the ongoing negotiations toward final agreements.
Jim Dinn, the leader of the provincial New Democratic Party, agreed in January to vote in favour of beginning negotiations for final agreements if the Liberal government established an independent oversight panel.
He says Wilson's comments have called the panel's independence into question.Â
Dinn says the Liberal government must release Wilson's resignation letter without redactions so the public can know exactly what led to Wilson's concerns.
In an interview, he said he would like the panel's quarterly public reports to provide more detail, adding that he is not looking for a "play-by-play" of the ongoing negotiations.
The provincial Progressive Conservatives have criticized the panel, saying its chair, Dennis Browne, the province’s consumer advocate, is a Liberal supporter who has previously expressed his approval of the deal.
This report by ºÃÉ«tvwas first published Sept. 3, 2025.