That Rich Public Sector

"[OPG while cutting staff by 8.5%, increased the size of "its highly paid executive and senior management group by almost 60% since 2005, [in the process creating "a top heavy organization."
"Earnings and benefits were significantly more generous at Ontario Power Generation (OPG) than for comparable positions in the Ontario Public Service, and many of OPG's senior executives earned more than most deputy ministers."
"OPG is also solely responsible for financing its pension deficit, about $555 million in its latest actuarial valuation."
Provincial Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk, annual report

Incentive awards, points out Ms. Lysyk, for OPG's non-unionized staff reaches up to $1.3-million with the top five executives eligible for pensions ranging between $180,000 to $760,000 annually. Additionally, Ontario Power Generation's contribution is "disproportionately more" to its pension plan than the contributions of its employees. The funding ratio is 4:1 or 5:1, as opposed to the 1:1 ratio in the public service.

The ratepayers of Ontario now pay the highest electricity rates in Canada. At one time Ontarians paid the lowest electricity rates in North America, and the corporation, then called Ontario Hydro, aggressively advertised to persuade its customers to use more electricity for it was abundant and inexpensively-generated. The current Liberal government in power is determined to make Ontarians pay dearly for their energy source.

Not only do we have the highest rates, but the province has energy to burn, so much that it almost gives it away to out-of-province customers. Electricity users in the U.S. where electricity is purchased from OPG pay substantially less than Ontarians; the excess energy generated by Ontario through hydro, nuclear, (coal), solar and wind power the latter two heavily subsidized, is sold abroad at less than the cost to produce it.

The province instituted a time-of-use mechanism to charge clients who use electricity at peak hours at a higher rate, with a reduced rate coming into effect during non-peak-usage hours. This may seem efficient to the well-paid thinkers at OPG and satisfy the determination of the provincial government to wean people off high energy use at peak times, but it is hugely inconvenient and costly to the end-user. But then, that's the idea behind it.

The people of Ontario were left footing a billion-dollar penalty for cancelling two gas plants which the former Liberal government engineered as a way to ensure re-election by cancelling plants that voters agitated not to have installed in their areas. Billions were wasted on the mishandling of ehealth, and more again on the fiasco of Ornge, with its disgraced head now insisting he is entitled to over a million dollars in separation pay.

A humble and chastened provincial energy minister claims OPG is aware of the unacceptability of the auditor's conclusions. "The auditor's findings indicate that Ontario can and should expect better, and OPG takes this report as seriously as we do", commented Bob Chiarelli. One can only wince in response to this charade, and hope that people will be sufficiently fed up to vote differently come election day.