Article contentWilson said that he offered to answer any questions government had on his resignation to ensure there was no controversy. He also asked to receive confirmation that his letter was received. Article content“I did not receive a reply or an inquiry from the government, so I assumed my letter was clear and my resignation was accepted,” wrote Wilson. Article contentHe said that as of Sept. 10, neither Browne nor the provincial government has contacted him to discuss why he believed the independence of the panel became impaired.Article contentWhy does he want his full letter released? Article contentJust a month later, in June, it was announced that Wilson had been replaced on the panel. When this occurred, he wrote that he was reached out to by a local media outlet asking for the reason and he indicated to them that he resigned. Article contentIt was reported by AllNewfoundlandandLabrador on June 12 that Wilson had resigned back in May.Article contentArticle contentIn August, Wilson’s redacted resignation letter was surfaced by the government. Article contentWilson wrote that, to the best of his knowledge, there is no commercially sensitive information in his letter. Article contentHe said that both he and Browne cannot release the full letter due to the NDA. Article content“Releasing my letter would demonstrate transparency and enable the public to make an informed decision,” wrote Wilson. Article contentWilson said in his opinion, if there truly was no impairment, releasing his full letter to the public should be done. He said that the action would not only provide transparency but could restore public confidence in the panel if they agreed with Browne that there was no impairment. Article content“VOCM’s recent question of the day indicates 81 per cent of the respondents do not have confidence in the panel,” wrote Wilson. Article content Energy NL CEO Charlene Johnson (left) and Newfoundland and Labrador Premier John Hogan speak to reporters after meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in St. John’s on Sept. 8. Photo by Nicholas Mercer/The TelegramArticle contentPremier’s response Article contentDuring a Sept. 8 news conference with Energy NL CEO Charlene Johnson, Premier John Hogan spoke about Wilson and the oversight panel. Article contentArticle contentHogan said that from his conversations with the panel, they have never raised an issue about the strength of the deal. Article contentHe added that it can be easy, when you look at a deal as big as $225 billion, to pick it apart and say you could have gotten more, or shouldn’t have given so much in other areas.Article contentHogan believes that this type of deal needs to be looked at in totality because there are a lot of moving pieces. However, as he continues to look at this as a whole, despite the questions and allegations, some of which he said aren’t factually accurate, he said he feels comfortable that the province is moving in the right direction with the deal. Article content“I appreciate the questions and concerns, and I’ll always look at those as we move towards finalizing those agreements,” said Hogan. Article content“There’s still work to do in finalizing those agreements, like making sure that we get the fair market value for energy that’s developed here in Newfoundland and Labrador being sold outside of the province.”
Former Churchill Falls Oversight Panel member speaks out on resignation, calls for transparency
