Un-freedom of information

Posted by Magda
Council is set to vote on the hydro merger Sept. 29. If all goes the way hydro folk would like it to, councillors will vote based on a business case none apart from them have seen. Councillor Mike Salisbury has been trying to get the business case released, without success. (Merger information, including a summary of the business case, is available here.)

My colleague Lisa Varano filed a formal freedom of information request for the business case. It was turned down. We appealed, and today we've heard that, as is protocol, a mediator has been assigned to the case and if mediation fails, it will go to adjudication. The problem is, this situation is really time sensitive. It's likely that in 19 days, it'll all be over. If my experience is any indication, it'll take many times that to get this issue resolved.

I requested Larry Kotseff's compensation package May 7, 2007. I got the information July 15, 2008.

I requested information related to the departure of former finance director David Kennedy on July 17, 2007. That hastn' yet been resolved.

It seems to me that, even if the province eventually rules the hydro business case should be made public, it'll get be well into 2009 -- and the utilities will be long merged, or not -- before we see it.

Comments

[Mark]

This doesn't make sense on many levels. Foremost in my mind is that if this proposed merger is the deal of a lifetime like the Hydro Board is making it out to be you think they would be making the business case that's proves what a great bargain this is more accessible. Why are they not tripping over each other in an effort to get ALL the details out there if this propopsal really is the gem that it's being made out to be?

Something smells fishy Guelph!

[Dan Moziar]

Mark:

Right on. The proponents of this merger deal have put out a number of items of misinformation in their efforts to make this sound like the greatest thing since sliced bread.
Several people, myself included, have posted these misinformation tidbits on various Blogs, and have written letters questioning the merger. The immediate neighbouring Utilities of Horizon who have been approached by Horizon for merger talks have turned them down flat. What do they know that the GHI Board doesn't?
The President of Horizon has written a letter to his staff asking them not to get into letter wars in the press. He said that this item is too complicated for people to understand, and the press can spin things out of control. He stated that Horizon wanted to control the messages through the "proper channels". He obviously wants to keep this a quiet backroom deal.
There is no transparency on this issue, the GHI Board is having a number of closed meetings with Councillors to sell their proposal. The stated benifits have been shown to be full of holes. Check some of the other postings if you need a refresher on the items of misinformation that have been put forward by the proponents of this deal.
Ward 2 is having a meeting with the Hydro people next week at the Evergreen Centre, and this will be a good opportunity for the public to air its concerns.
Yes, there are things to be concerned about.