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Grimes says government not being transparent: Should
release more information on Churchill EOI process April 4, 2005
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Opposition Leader Roger Grimes says Premier Danny Williams has an obligation
to release more information about the Expressions of Interest (EOI) process
now that the deadline has passed and tell the public how the evaluation
committee will be selected. "When the Premier spoke with the media this afternoon, he hid behind a confidentiality clause in the EOI document," said Grimes. "There is nothing in this document that prevents the Premier from disclosing the names of the proponents and possible project configurations. In the interest of openness and transparency, I am calling on the Premier to release this information to the public today. "Now that time for submissions has passed, there is no reason not to disclose who government is considering for development of this multi-billion dollar project. When government proceeded last year with talks for development of this project with another consortium of companies, it was discovered that serious problems existed. Greater disclosure will allow for public scrutiny and ensure that all proposals are fully examined and the interests of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador are protected. "The Premier knows that once we file a request under the Access to Information Act, government has an obligation by law to release more details. A project of this magnitude should not be a political game for the Premier and he should make details available immediately. We do not want commercially sensitive details, but the public has a right to know where the interest comes from." The Opposition Leader is concerned about the lack of a formal process for selecting a committee to evaluate the proposals received during the EOI process. "Government has not released details about how it will put in place the evaluation committee to select which proponents will undergo a feasibility assessment. The composition of this committee if vitally important for the development of the project and it should be a transparent selection process. "I will continue to seek clarification from government about the proponents of the received proposals, project configurations and evaluation process." |
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