Newfoundland and Labrador Liberal Premier Andrew Furey is facing heat after accepting a luxury vacation from a billionaire friend currently working on a hydrogen plant project with the province.
Reports reveal that Furey along with his father, Senator George Furey, who is currently Speaker of the Senate, both took a fishing vacation at Rifflin’ Hitch Lodge in July 2021.
The owner of the resort, John Risely, chairs the company World Energy GH2, which is seeking government approval for a wind power plant in western Newfoundland.
World Energy GH2’s bid to begin construction is currently facing an environmental assessment. If completed it would be allowed to build 164 wind turbines.
According to Progressive Conservative Opposition leader Barry Petten, access to information documents show the government considering a lift on a wind turbine ban only months after the Fureys returned from their fishing expedition.
“The premier spends days with a billionaire donor who’s leading a wind development project in a luxury cabin, and he expects people of the province to believe that wind energy did not come up once. Three months later, public servants start talking about removing the wind moratorium in our province,” Petten said in the Legislature.
“Is this where the deal was struck or is this the biggest coincidence in Newfoundland and Labrador history?”
Furey has denied allegations that there was any inappropriate influence or negotiations.
“I’ve never made a secret of the friends that I have,” Furey told reporters.
“Some of them are very successful, and I take great fortune in having those friendships. But I don’t discuss confidential business of government with them, and I’ve taken the extra step of having ethical walls set up.”
“Everybody’s been critical of me from Day 1. About first my charitable work, then me practicing medicine, and now about what I do on my vacation time. Like, we need to — we need to have some respect for public figures here in their own personal time.”
Furey also pointed to the fact that he is not in charge of the final say on whether the project would go through and pointed to Energy and Technology Minister Andrew Parsons as having the final say.
“No one has been approved for absolutely anything at this point,” said Parsons.
