Fuzzy Civic facts at the Globe and Mail

Are these stories getting as tedious for you as they are for me (see prior post “Fuzzy Civic math at the Globe and Mail” December 5-08)? Today’s instalment of bad facts by our friends at the DTM has to do with the idea that there is some “proposed financial audit” being hung up at the Toronto Port Authority:

“Where’s the urgency in supporting employment in this city? To instead make it a priority to add people to a board in an apparent attempt to stop an audit – I really don’t know why they’re doing this – is a bizarre priority,”

I have no idea what they are talking about. I don’t know why anyone would mislead Toronto Mayor David Miller, but there is not a scintilla of truth to the concern. When the City’s new appointee gets into the chair, he’ll find this out for himself.

The audit of the financial statements is done annually, and every five years there is a legislated “Special Examination” which must commence in early 2009 and be completed by June 30, 2009 by the TPA accounting firm. That Special Examination happens at all federal Ports across the country every five years and will soon take place in Toronto. Not that there’s anything nefarious to uncover, but the Canada Marine Act requires a Special Examination every five years…and that window is just around the corner, by sheer coincidence.

As for my quote in the story, I received an email around 4:30 p.m. on a Friday looking for an immediate interview to provide a response to the Mayor’s anger about the rumoured expansion of the TPA Board of Directors. Leaving aside the fact that it was a classic — up against a deadline interview request via email late on a Friday — situation, I happened to be a client’s office in the midst of a demonstration of their product. Not a suitable time to do an interview. I sent a few words via email, and they were accurately reflected in the Globe’s story this morning.

Had I known about this false “financial audit” storyline, I could have poured cold water on it as I appear to be the only person interviewed for the story who would actually know about it. For some reason, it wasn’t raised with me. But you can’t respond to what you aren’t told, so I was left providing some insights into the growth of the TPA’s business over the past few years, and the obvious benefit we’d have of adding some bench strength to the Board.

MRM
(disclosure – I’m on the TPA Board)