CommunityAIR Press Release, October 1, 2009
Who’s in Charge at the TPA?
With yet another revelation of misconduct in the TPA (see today’s Toronto Star: Tory fundraiser sparks uproar - Political event for Raitt organized from office of Toronto Port Authority
1), it’s worth asking ―Who’s In Charge?‖1
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/703628The short answer is: mostly Mike Harris-era Tories, appointed by Harrisite federal Transport Minister John Baird, and his predecessor, Lawrence Cannon.
Stephen Harper’s government has appointed these loyal Tories:
Sean Morley, a lawyer at Bay Street law firm Fasken Martineau and a former Senior Policy Advisor to cabinet ministers in the Mike Harris government, appointed December 23, 2008 by Transport Minister Baird.
Craig Rix, whose appointment to the TPA was made by Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon in February 2008, was an aide to Finance minister Jim Flaherty when he was a member of the Mike Harris government in Ontario
Jeremy Adams, a former political aide in the Harris government, and director of government relations for a tobacco company appointed January, 2009 by Transport Minister John Baird
Mark McQueen, who worked as an executive assistant and advisor in Prime Minister Brian Mulroney’s office, appointed September 25, 2007 by the Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon
Robert Poirier - appointed September 2009 by Minister Baird, has been a Conservative Party fundraiser since 2005.
In addition, Colin Watson was appointed in August 2006 by Minister Cannon. He is a former CEO of Rogers Cablesystems, who sits on the board of Spar Aerospace and Vector Aerospace with Porter CEO Robert Deluce, and is an admitted friend of Deluce
.. A majority of directors are required to be representative of port user groups, selected through a process laid out in the TPA Letter Patent. None of the directors were appointed as a result of that process, save perhaps Watson, who may well be considered to be Porter’s voice on the TPA board.Since Lisa Raitt’s departure in September 2008, the TPA has not been able to find a replacement CEO, and its Chief Financial Officer, Alan Paul, has acted as its interim CEO.
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