PUB report's impact watered down, former minister fears

The former cabinet minister who initially asked the Public Utilities Board to review the Muskrat Falls power project says the government has undermined the significance of that report.

Shawn Skinner was natural resources minister before his defeat in the October provincial election.

He says the provincial government has watered down the importance of the PUB review.

"The Public Utilities Board had an opportunity to really have some significant sway in terms of how the people of the province would view Muskrat Falls as a development," Skinner said on this weeks episode of On Point with David Cochrane.

"And given that they've had their wings clipped a little bit, in terms of the time that they've had to review the project, I think some of that sway has been undermined or been taken away from them."

Skinner says he initially thought the PUB report "would be a very significant statement on Muskrat Falls, and people would see it that way in this province."

But now?

"I'm not so sure today that they'll view the report in the same light," he noted.

On Friday night, the PUBsubmitted its report to the provincial government, one day before the March 31 deadline.

The report could be released to the public as early as Monday.

The boardhas complained about a lack of co-operationfrom project proponent Nalcor Energy, and said it wasnt getting enough time to carry out a comprehensive review.

The province rejected a request for a second deadline extension after initially granting an additional three months.

Skinnerhas also said he backs a dedicated debateon Muskrat Falls in the house of assembly.

The Tory governmenthas rejected that as unnecessary.