When taxpayers foot the bill, they’re entitled to see what they’re paying for.

But according to former premier Andrew Furey, that’s out of the question.

Under Furey, the Newfoundland and Labrador government paid $5.4 million to Rothschild and Company to review and explore the sale of provincial government assets in 2021.

The work was delivered to government in the spring of 2022, but years later the public has still not seen the analysis or the recommendations.

Since taking office last year, Premier Tony Wakeham has tried to obtain the report so his government can review the findings. But because the work was delivered to cabinet under the previous government, Wakeham requires permission from the former premier to release the material.

Furey has refused.

The former premier argues the report cannot be released because it falls under cabinet confidence. But cabinet confidence exists to protect internal political deliberations, not to permanently hide a multimillion-dollar consulting report paid for with taxpayer money.

When government hires outside consultants to study public assets, that work should not disappear behind closed doors. Taxpayers funded the analysis and taxpayers should be able to see what they paid for.

The secrecy surrounding the Rothschild review only raises more questions. Wakeham has said he is unsure whether a formal report exists or whether government simply received a series of presentations over time.

Either way, taxpayers deserve clarity. If a report exists, it should be released. If it does not, taxpayers should know exactly what work was delivered for the $5.4 million contract.

Consulting contracts of that size should never vanish into a black box.

Transparency matters even more because of what the report was supposed to examine. Rothschild was hired to analyze provincial government assets and explore options for managing them. That could include restructuring operations, selling certain assets or partnering with the private sector.

Those are major decisions that could shape the province’s finances for decades.

Newfoundland and Labrador already carries one of the highest per capita debt burdens in the country. Every Newfoundlander and Labradorian’s share of the provincial debt is more than $35,000.

The government borrowed $4.1 billion in last year’s budget and more borrowing is expected in the upcoming budget.

When governments consistently spend more than they bring in, they rack up huge interest charges. Debt interest payments alone are projected to exceed $1.2 billion this year. That works out to about $2,200 for every person in the province.

Those interest charges represent money that cannot be spent on health care, infrastructure or tax relief.

Given those fiscal realities, the government must be willing to consider every option to improve its financial position.

That includes having an honest conversation about government assets, including if they are underperforming or costing taxpayers more than they deliver in value. If they are, government must be open to selling them or bringing in free enterprise to improve efficiency.

Whether those options make sense in Newfoundland and Labrador is ultimately a political decision for the government of the day. But those decisions should be made with as much information as possible on the table.

The Rothschild analysis could help inform that discussion.

Furey has also argued releasing the report is not appropriate because it may now be outdated. But if that is true, it actually strengthens the case for transparency.

A dated report cannot bind the hands of the current government. Wakeham and his cabinet remain free to accept, reject or ignore any recommendations contained in the review.

But taxpayers should still be able to see the analysis prepared using their money.

Liberal leader John Hogan has suggested the government should simply commission a new study if it wants a fresh look at provincial finances. But taxpayers should not have to pay millions of dollars again for work that has already been done.

Before government writes another cheque to consultants, the public deserves to see what $5.4 million already bought.

Newfoundland and Labrador taxpayers funded the Rothschild review. They deserve to see the results.