“Gang, going to ask us to convene on a call at 8:30 am EST on Vapour. I would feel best if we discussed the specific plan we are going to execute.” -email from Liberal chief of staff Chris Morley to government officials David Livingston, William Bromm, Shelly Jamieson, David Lindsay, Murray Segal and Emily Marangoni,
QUEEN’S PARK – To cover up the truth about the McGuinty Liberals’ political involvement in the decision to cancel the Oakville and Mississauga gas plants, the code word ‘Project Vapour’ was created, Cambridge Ontario PC MPP Rob Leone said today.
Leone referred to the 20,000 additional documents released late Friday, in which many contain emails from the Premier’s former chief of staff, Chris Morley, and his current chief of staff, David Livingston. The emails use the codenames “Project Vapour,” “Vapour Minutes,” and “Vapour.”
“The term Vapour appears to be code for anything related to the power plants,” Leone said. “The Premier’s Office, with the help of high-ranking government officials, made an obvious and duplicitous attempt to cover up their tracks and avoid any potential freedom of information requests made in the future regarding the power plants by using this code.”
The emails discuss the strategy moving forward with canceling the plants, compensation costs, and briefings – all of which directed by the Premier’s Office, in particular his former chief of staff, Chris Morley.
The cost for canceling the two plants is right now pegged at a minimum of $1 billion, PC Energy Critic Vic Fedeli added. And this price tag for taxpayers and ratepayers is set to grow, as Energy consultant Bruce Sharp has stated there are still yet-to-be-determined costs.
“With codenames and curiously missing emails, this package of documents makes clear that Dalton McGuinty and his government are still not complying with an Order of the House, and are still not telling Ontarians the truth,” Fedeli said. “With ‘Project Vapour’ coming to light, no wonder Dalton McGuinty resigned.”
