Parties squabble over Hydro ‘chaos’

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This article was published 26/03/2018 (2897 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

NDP Leader Wab Kinew demanded Monday that Premier Brian Pallister immediately call the standing committee on Crown corporations to examine the “chaos” at Manitoba Hydro.

However, Crown Services Minister Cliff Cullen fired right back that it was the New Democrats who pulled out of a planned all-party meeting with Hydro’s chief executive officer last September.

The Tories are willing to try again, after the Public Utilities Board issues its decision on Hydro’s rate application, Cullen said, if “the NDP is able to bring their caucus together to a meeting.”

“Bottom line: you, as Manitobans, own this corporation, it’s one of the most valuable things you own” – NDP Leader Wab Kinew

Kinew said the Crown corporations committee has not met publicly with the Hydro board chairman nor the CEO since the early fall of 2016, and has not met at all since last June, when Manitoba Public Insurance appeared before the committee.

“The standing committee on Crown corporations is the place where MLAs, and by extension the public, have oversight over Manitoba Hydro,” Kinew told reporters. “Bottom line: you, as Manitobans, own this corporation, it’s one of the most valuable things you own.

“This is a live issue.”

Cullen said the parties had agreed to hold a meeting of the public accounts last September with Hydro CEO Kelvin Shepherd, then-Crowns minister Ron Schuler and the deputy minister. The NDP backed out because it was going to be held two days after their leadership convention, Cullen said.

“The NDP refused to attend the meeting and would not propose any new dates. Due to the inability to bring their own caucus together, this meeting was not rescheduled,” Cullen said Monday.

Kinew later retorted: “Clearly, they are desperate to distract attention away from Pallister’s mismanagement.”

Nine of 10 Tory-appointed members of the Hydro board resigned March 21, citing Pallister’s refusal to meet with them for more than a year over critical financial issues.

Pallister in turn said the board quit because that same morning he’d ordered Hydro not to sign a $67.5-million agreement with the Manitoba Metis Federation, in which the MMF would agree not to oppose the $453-million Manitoba-Minnesota transmission line project.

MMF president David Chartrand said he plans to hold a news conference today or Wednesday to outline legal action the federation will take against the province.

Minnesota Power said Monday it’s confident the transmission line project will go ahead.

“We were made aware of the events last week by our contacts at Manitoba Hydro. As a public utility, we understand the importance of having positive relationships with all our stakeholders. We have had a very lengthy and positive working relationship with Manitoba and Manitoba Hydro, and are confident that these recent events will be resolved with minimal impact on our plans and projects,” Amy Rutledge, corporate communications manager with Minnesota Power, said from Duluth.

A National Energy Board hearing on the transmission project is expected this spring, but has yet to be scheduled.

nick.martin@freepress.mb.ca