Editorial, reprinted by permission, from Bob Axford's Community Living newsletters on stands at Winnipeg retailers this week:
Denied intervenor status at the Public Utilities Board hearing into rate increases proposed by Manitoba Hydro, the woman known as "New York Consultant" made an unprecedented media appearance to take her case directly to Manitobans and caution that without her participation, the PUB hearings will be a farce. She did so using the alternative, rather than traditional big media outlets, to engage in her first-ever broadcast discussion of the issues, speaking for over an hour on Marty Gold’s ‘The Great Canadian Talk Show’.
Listen to the audio:
http://www.archive.org/details/TheGreatCanadianTalkShowHighlight-April12010
Last Thursday, 'Miss Whistle' explained that after a series of smaller contracts, ongoing work led her to discover system flaws in the Hydro computer system which led to miscalculated financial forecasts which in turn led to a consumer rate increase in 2003-2004 that was "unnecessary" . There were also "oversights in the reservoir levels" which could put the Province at risk of power interruptions in case of another drought.
Miss Whistle said she had reported her findings at every step of the way to the Chief Financial Officer, filing various reports that were backlogged on his desk, until, in 2008, she participated in a 6 hour meeting with Hydro officials in which she defended her work. She pointed out that in the affidavit filed by Hydro in a separate lawsuit against her company there was no mention of the CFO vetting her work.
She also alleged that the minutes of the 2008 meeting have disappeared, although she retained the 204 page report she submitted that day, as proof they knew her concerns for the well-being of the utility were substantiated.
Ultimately, her findings formed a challenge to influential longtime Hydro insiders and to senior executives who had rubber-stamped previous annual reports. The man who signed Hydro's affidavit, David Cormie "has had a vendetta because I attacked his computer system" and when compared to other jurisdictions, Hydro’s government-appointed board "has been largely unregulated".
She described the attacks on her orchestrated through public comments and the affidavit as “childish and immature", and the mainstream media has been parroting the resulting "pandemonium of mistruths and misquotes". "People just write nonsense", which is why she wanted her voice heard properly and why she wanted to field questions about the case.
"There needs to be an equitable investigation ... (but) PUB doesn't want any evidence of the risk " to be tabled. Although every other applicant for intervenor was granted status and unlimited legal costs (one estimated theirs at $300,000), she who is most capable of explaining risk and rates has been asked to participate in a limited advisory scope with a cap on her legal costs at a paltry $5000.
Meanwhile, Miss Whistle revealed that the lawsuit against her launched by Hydro, is "unnecessary interference with the legislation". Applying for a court order to release her work to a competitor, KPMG, is a ploy by the Manitoba government to sidestep the Whistleblower Act. Manitoba Hydro was ordered by the Minister Rosanne Wowchuk to hire KPMG to conduct a special audit and then turn the "results" over to the government. As a result, Miss Whistle has absorbed $50,000 in legal costs to fight the application, as those court documents have been circulated to the media with information that identifies her and her company, in violation of the Whistleblower protection she is entitled to.
"There was a danger to the safety of people" which led Miss Whistle to come forward, yet in almost a year and a half, the provincial auditor (a former Hydro board member) did nothing and the Ombudsman has been silent about the multiple breaches of the Whistleblower Act and the attacks on Miss Whistle's professional work and character.
Premier Greg Selinger, who drafted the Act and was responsible for Hydro for a decade, has the most to lose if the public catches on to the message of obstruction and cover-up heard on Kick-FM on April 1st. Bob Brennan and his cronies at Hydro would just lose their jobs; but for Selinger and the NDP, credibility and the seat of government could well be at risk.
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This week on TGCTS:
Tuesday: an Elmwood homeowner seeks answers, as he never received anything from the city about the Disraeli Bridge project that will affect his home and family, was never asked about the bike bridge by city staff, and his councillor has not returned his phone call for over a month; a Lesson in Journalism on how the Wolseley neighborhood beat the bike lobby at the last stand of Omand's Creek; Dr. "Brain" Postl flunked the Superbug prevention standards at the WRHA yet get hired as new U of M Dean of Medicine; plus listener emails;
Wednesday: residents of Elmwood, North Point Douglas, and South Point Douglas in studio, form a united front against the city Disraeli plan; and Manitoba Homecoming 2010 honcho Kevin Walters previews the big events this spring;
Thursday: Sean Crawford of MacDonald Youth Services plugs their annual Under the Big Top fundraiser next week (got you tickets yet? www.mys.ca for more info), plus That Wine Guy with Campbell Alexander;
If you are a homeowner or business affected by Disraeli Bridge expropriation or construction, or by the city plans for bike lanes and bike paths, contact us talk@kick.fm
