Columnists
Banana Republican of the Year?
You have to ask yourself what award Doug Ford is gunning for: Banana Republican of the Year, perhaps?
Mr. Ford can’t seem to keep his hands off Hydro One, even though the government’s share in the company is less than 50 per cent and its shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Ordinarily, the shareholders of a public corporation hold the directors to account, and the directors hire and fire the chief executive officer. But Mr. Ford intervened to take the scalp of the “$6 million man” at the helm, prompting the entire board to resign.
He is now seeking to install his own man as chief executive officer and cap his salary at $1.5 million. The government maintains that as the company’s largest shareholder, it is entitled to push its agenda. But the market doesn’t see it that way. Nor do bond rating agencies.
Nor do Washington State regulators, who cited this political interference as the basis upon which to turn down Hydro’s acquisition of a utility supplying power to the State. The consequent failure of the deal will cost Hydro One a $103 million termination fee—on top of the more than $40 million it incurred in costs making the deal.
So Ford’s clumsy interference will cost Hydro One at least $143 million and counting. Discounted to 47 per cent (the level of taxpayer equity), that means you can legitimately call him the “$66 million man,” who cost taxpayers about 15 times the $4.5 million net salary he was trying to save them.
But this isn’t the only thing in which the Premier has overstepped. On the day he started a new job at (government- owned) Ontario Power Generation, previous Conservative leader Patrick Brown’s former chief of staff was terminated. It turns out his abrupt departure was initiated by Mr. Ford’s current chief of staff. The poor fellow hadn’t been around long enough to figure out where to get his coffee, let alone build up a record of failure that would have justified his termination for cause. Guess who’s left to pay for the cleanup of that mess.
And then there is the curious affair of the customized van. It was reported that the self-same chief of staff to Mr. Ford requested that the OPP configure a camper van for Mr. Ford’s use when travelling the province, but that it keep the costs of doing so “off books.” The chief of staff (who was also the person who told police to raid unlicensed marijuana dispensaries so as to provide a photoop) subsequently challenged the report, saying that it was not a camper van, just a van.
What was Mr. Ford planning to do with that van? Take afternoon naps? Sleep overnight? Change suits? Meditate? Store his kayak?
Mr. Ford is certainly entitled to travel in comfort when he is on the people’s business. But keeping the details of his personal transportation vehicle off the books is just guaranteed to raise suspicion that somebody was trying to pull a fast one. Was he planning to use it as a secret rendezvous point for Conservative operatives to receive their next dirty tricks assignment from party headquarters? Did he want to covertly hand out Deco Labels samples?
Oh well, I have no doubt those inquiring into the Taverner affair—whether it be the Ombudsman, the Integrity Commissioner or a special legislative committee—will clear that one up as well as find that there was no interference by the Premier’s office in the hiring of the new OPP commissioner.
You would think that, knowing he will generate considerable antipathy with his austerity program, Mr. Ford would not want to waste any of his precious political capital on things that just amount to throwing his weight around. He wouldn’t be the first one to get in trouble for doing so; but you might think he would have learned something from those who have come before him—including his late brother.
No: it seems to be one of those lessons you have to learn for yourself—even if it earns you the Banana Republican of the Year award.
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