N.L. premier to testify before Muskrat Falls inquiry

Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Dwight Ball is set to testify before the Muskrat Falls inquiry.

The premier will take the stand over cost and scheduling overruns that have plagued the controversial hydro dam on Labrador’s lower Churchill River.

READ MORE: Audit finds Muskrat Falls cost overruns became obvious soon after megaproject got underway

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

The 824-megawatt dam has essentially doubled in costs to more than $12.7 billion since it was sanctioned by a former Progressive Conservative government in 2012.

The inquiry has heard from a parade of past and present government officials, bureaucrats and energy executives, some of whom have suggested project risks had been intentionally downplayed.

READ MORE: Inquiry into $12.7 billion Muskrat Falls ‘boondoggle’ set to begin in Labrador

Ball said just a few months into his government that he was becoming seriously concerned about estimates presented to him.

The premier has also said he no longer trusted Crown corporation Nalcor Energy to carry out unsupervised negotiations with financially troubled Italian construction company Astaldi.

-With Files from Dexter Nyuurnibe