The Great Canadian Talk Show has learned that Manitoba Hydro CEO and President Bob Brennan is sensing dissension in the ranks, and has come out with a desperate counter-offensive.
The most offensive aspect being, he is claiming to employees that he is really, really, REALLY co-operating with the Public Utilities Board, even though a year after he promised to disclose information they asked for, he still has not done so.
"Hydro is more than willing to provide whatever information is necessary for the PUB to fulfill its important rates approval mandate ... it is necessary to provide the PUB with information in such a way that does not put Manitoba Hydro at a competitive disadvantage. Manitoba Hydro has always had a cooperative working relationship with the PUB and this is expected to continue."
Having taken the definition of "cooperation" from the official NDP handbook, Brennan then claims he has respect for the Whistleblower Act, after spending last week violating it at every turn.
"I strongly support the right of any individual to express his or her legitimate concerns in a discreet and confidential way without fear of reprisal. This is the essence of the Province’s whistleblower legislation. At some point, however, Manitoba Hydro needs to have the opportunity to defend itself once the allegations are known."
Brennan has known since at least September of 2008 what the allegations are, and according to Miss Whistle, specifically instructed her not to leave a paper/email trail, and then fired her the day after she sent an advance summary of her analysis to Brennan and to the Hydro CFO (to whom she actually directly reported).
Brennan goes on to voice his support for a 'special audit' being conducted by his former employer, now- Provincial Auditor Carol Bellringer.
"The highly publicized whistleblower allegations are the subject of an independent review by the Auditor General or her designate and this review will be conducted as soon as possible... We have stated previously that we fully support an investigation by the Office of the Auditor General because we are very confident that such an independent review will vindicate Manitoba Hydro and demonstrate that the corporation is managing its risks in the most prudent and responsible manner."
Brennan also tries to reassure the jittery staff that the results of the most recent operational review were glowing, even though the hand-picked consultants used the term "reasonable" three times, and "adequate" twice.
Most importantly, Brennan proports that his handpicked auditors will be able to conclude a proper review before New Years' Eve, and before Bellringer has even cracked a book on the subject.
"The findings of the KPMG review will be provided in a report to be presented on or before December 31, 2009".
We will have more from Manitoba Hydro's "Message from the President: A response to whistleblower allegations", Tuesday at 4.20 PM, on 92.9 Kick-FM.
