According to Bruce Owen (Leaked Hydro Document Shows Bipole Cost Jump: Opposition, Brandon Sun, March 18), Manitoba Hydro CEO Bob Brennan, reacting to the second "leak" from Manitoba Hydro in as many months, said "We don't think it's right that stuff gets leaked out" and then added "You'd think people would be more committed to the company."
Let's examine why these "leaks" are occurring. If one routinely ignores the advice of the professionals one hires, if one operates in a non-transparent way, if one then withholds from the public critical information about the work a Crown corporation is doing and if one does not set enough distance between the Crown corporation and the government when the government engages in misleading and deceptive rhetoric, then one shouldn't be surprised if "leaks" occur.
Manitoba Hydro has more than 500 professional engineers and professionals with environmental expertise. If political expedience replaces their advice as it did when Gary Doer's NDP government ordered Manitoba Hydro to switch its planning for an east-side Bipole III to one running along the west side, then one has a recipe for discouraged employees.
If one then colludes with the government, for partisan reasons, to keep shocking information hidden from the public about the true cost of capital projects that the corporation is planning, as has been done with Bipole III along with Minister Rosann Wowchuk and Premier Greg Selinger, then one shouldn't be surprised if "leaks" occur.
The Bipole III Coalition (bipoleiiicoalition.ca) of which I am the president does not condone these "leaks" from otherwise loyal employees. This is only to point out that Bob Brennan should look in the mirror if he wants to figure out who bears the basic responsibility for the culture of "leaks" in Manitoba Hydro.
KAREN FRIESEN
President
Bipole III Coalition
Republished from the Brandon Sun print edition March 24, 2011 A9
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Posted by:Bill the Needle
March 25, 2011 at 3:35 PM
Excellent letter. Listen carefully folks.
Posted by:Deborah Boschman
March 24, 2011 at 3:15 PM
I just read your letter to one of my colleagues and together we exclaimed, "This is a smokin' hot letter, Ms. Friesen, a smokin' hot letter, indeed!"
BRAVO, BRAVO, BRAVO indeed!
Posted by:Deborah Boschman
March 24, 2011 at 2:46 PM
Shooting straight is the ONLY way to go!
BRAVO Ms. Friesen for your COURAGE, for telling it like it is, for pulling no punches, for cutting to the chase, for your honesty and forthrightness.
This is what appears to be lacking within our society today and this is why, I believe, we are in SO MANY of the messes that we are in, in so many areas.
BRAVO, indeed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!