Opposition demanding energy minister’s head over AG report response

(Updated)

In the wake of Tuesday’s scathing Auditor General’s report, there are calls at Queen’s Park for the energy minister to resign. Troubling findings reveal Ontarians are paying billions of dollars more than we should be for electricity.

While opposition parties continue to call for Energy Minister Bob Chiarelli to step down today, Kathleen Wynne and other Liberals are backing him.

Municipal Affairs Minister Ted McMeekin tweeted out this response to a woman who called for Chiarelli’s resignation: “If Bob says the auditor is blowing smoke then that’s exactly what is happening. Bob’s most straight up honest politico I know.”

Premier Wynne says she was unaware of the tweet and that cabinet ministers need to be respectful to all officers of the legislature. But MPP’s say it’s not enough, and that she should fire Chiarelli for his arrogance. The minister, who is taking heat for suggesting Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk did not understand the electricity system, is being viewed as sexist by some. Chiarelli explained his stance earlier at Queen’s Park: “I did make a comment that some of her representatives had meetings with senior people, from the ministry and the agencies and they apparently didn’t understand. I had no idea whether those representatives were male or female. I talked about the global adjustment, and that it was irrelevant, and a number of particular issues. But the main point that I was trying to make yesterday and that was reflected by who was with me up on stage, representatives from the utility sector, who live and work with smart meters every day, who are strong advocates of the successful implementation of smart meters, the significant difference they are making now in the electricity system, and there’s new technology coming on stream using them almost on a monthly basis. Those were my points.

(Is it just that woman, that woman you referred to. You can’t get along with or is it all women?) “My staff have fact checked that, those words were not used.” (That’s what you said in the house, that woman.) “They fact checked that, that’s not what I said.”

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath: “The auditor general is an independent officer, it is her job to give Ontarians the straight facts but instead of listening to the auditor the minister of energy attacked her competence and Liberal ministers have been taking to Twitter to support that disgraceful attack. I was actually disgusted by the premiers press conference this morning where she actually defended his behaviour as well. How could this premier, the first woman premier of this province support this minsters sexist behaviour.”

Both Chiarelli and Premier Wynne disagree with the auditor general’s conclusion that the $2-billion smart meter program has so far spent double its projected cost, and has passed on extra costs to Ontarians.