The newly appointed chairman of Toronto Hydro, David Williams, comments in the front page story in the National Post (print edition, now on-line here) today declaring Haines clean, but challenges “the person who’s making the accusations.”

The National Post reports Williams attempting to dismiss the basis of my complaint as the result of a “formatting error” that occurred on a single CV filed in a rate application to the Ontario Energy Board “several years ago.”

Williams floating a phoney tony “formatting error” theory doesn’t explain how Haines told the OEB that he has a University of Lethbridge B.Comm, a degree that university does not offer.

The Post article quotes Williams as saying, “We’ve reviewed all of our records including going back to 2005 [when Mr. Haines] applied for a position, and we are satisfied that there is absolutely no misrepresentation.” A routine Google search will confirm that Haines has been presenting phoney credentials to the Ontario Energy Board continuously and frequently since at least 2007.

If Haines is fired with cause — a normal course of action for someone caught lying in the company’s name — Haines is entitled to no severance. If Haines is fired without cause, the Toronto Hydro board of directors has agreed that ratepayers are on the hook for a firing bonus of over $1.7 million.

The person who is making the accusations asks whether Mr. Williams speaks on behalf the whole board and whether the comments of Mr. Williams have put ratepayers on the hook for an additional payout to Haines?

The statements about my work and attributed to me in the Post story are accurate and fairly reflect information I provided the National Post.