On the evening of Saturday January 14, electricity critic and frequent contributor to the National Post, Parker Gallant sent the following note to the Council members on the Board of Toronto Hydro and the Mayor, Council and Staff of the City of Toronto:
The management of Toronto Hydro must be reigned in or fired with particular emphasis on the CEO. The whole episode that we have seen in the last week is not the way to run a public company that provides the residents of Toronto with a basic commidity. They are a monoply owned by the City of Toronto but are holding the whole city for ransom by throwing a temper tantrum.
There have been dozens of articles in the media that express shock at the bullying tactics undertaken by the management of Toronto Hydro. For them to challenge the OEB who are the regulator shows distain for a body that is supposed to protect the ratepayers of this province and this city.
As a taxpayer and a ratepayer I expect the Council to do the right thing-FIRE HAINES IMMEDIATELY!
Yours truly,
I concur with Gallant’s analysis and his conclusion.
Under the leadership of Anthony Haines, Toronto Hydro has damaged the City of Toronto’s investment, has without justification threatened the supply of electricity to consumers, and has fomented in a malicious and premeditated fashion a needless, contemptuous conflict with the Ontario Energy Board.
Toronto Hydro’s Board of Directors must take action immediately to restore public confidence in the utility.
The Board of Directors must fire Anthony Haines.
An emergency meeting of the Toronto Hydro Corporation Board of Directors has been called for Monday, January 16th.
Please join me at 8:30am in front of the Toronto Hydro offices at 14 Carlton Street where I will conduct a street demonstration demanding the firing of CEO Anthony Haines.
Post script: The above posting went on-line Jan. 15 at 19:37. Since then, I have received information that there may not have been a Toronto Hydro board meeting Jan. 16. I am still looking to confirm what is going on with TH board meetings. If anyone can help with details, please share.