Here is a podcast of my appearance on The Lang & O’Leary Exchange on CBC February 2, 2012. Coverage of the Toronto Hydro vs. Ontario Energy Board dispute starts around 49:34, ends around 54:55. Key points: Toronto’s preparations for the PanAm Games are being jeopardized, City Council is failing to supervise its investment in Toronto Hydro, and training programs for new workers are at risk due to chaos inside the utility.
Your final key point was that in the short term the TO Hydro problem is a “management issues”. That seems so much quieter, subtler, and more nuanced than recommending that the Board (or the City) fire the CEO, as you keep recommending here. Why so cagey, all of a sudden? Were you afraid that Amanda Lang would faint? In Kevin O’Leary’s absence, I think you could even have suggested “whacking” the CEO. . .
Norm,
“Cagey”. Yikes, tough review but I have to agree. Your criticism is justified. I was so focused on trying to explain the implications of the situation that I beat around the bushes on the solutions. I’ll try to be clearer next time.
Tom
I know you didn’t have much time, but a little more emphasis on Tony’s Hydro’s rates and service quality (relative to other utilities) and the likely benefits of privatization might have been in order.
The path of the future may be determined by whether or not Ford Nation gets the message that TO Hydro has gone nuts. And lots of simple people wouldn’t care much if TO Hydro gets extra rate money through a routine capital-improvement increase or a special increase for the Pan-Am games.
Sorry for the OT, but given the nightmares that occurred when they tried changing their billing system, none of this seems surprising. I’m still waiting for my first paper bill since October… 2010.