By Jill Slater

Opposition calls for SaskPower minister to resign

Oct 28, 2014 | 6:53 AM

In the wake of what the party calls “damning” reports about serious issues with smart meters, the opposition NDP is calling on Bill Boyd, the minister in charge of SaskPower, to resign.

“The minister’s fingerprints are all over this file,” said NDP MLA Trent Wotherspoon during Question Period Monday.

“For the minister to throw SaskPower under the bus, but refuse to take responsibility himself is utterly shameful.”

SaskPower President and CEO Robert Watson resigned after the review from the Crown Investment Corporation review was released.

Boyd says the buck stopped with Watson.

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“We’re relying on the judgment of the professionals in that organization to present us with information that is, in their judgment, the best information that they know of, and we accept that,” said Boyd.

Boyd says he was not notified of any red flags when it came to the safety of Sensus smart meters until word came that the meters began catching on fire. That was in July. The government halted the program and then ordered the meters be removed a short while later.

“If there was information presented and we didn’t act upon it, clearly there would be a problem with that and I would resign,” said Boyd to reporters after the NDP called for his resignation Monday.

The investigators who submitted the report stated they were unclear as to who was the person appointed to be responsible for the $200 million smart meter program. According to Boyd, no one was.

“He (Watson) is the CEO. There was no one that was placed in control of the overall program even though it was a very large rollout program.”

Mike Marsh will take over as the interim President and CEO of the company. Marsh was formerly a vice president and chief officer of operations.

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