QEC boss responds to corruption allegations
“Allegations that suggest the use of corporate resources for personal benefit are unfounded and incorrect”
Peter Mackey, the president of the Qulliq Energy Corp., said in a written statement June 30 that allegations that he used power corporation resources to benefit himself are “unfounded and incorrect.”
(Updated July 5, 7:00 p.m.)
Peter Mackey, the president of Qulliq Energy Corp., responded June 30, in a written statement, to allegations that he used corporation staff and property to do work on a house in Iqaluit for which he is alleged to be a part-owner.
Fred Schell, the MLA for South Baffin, in a question in the Legislative Assembly directed June 7 at Lorne Kusugak, the energy minister, alleged that this past May 19 and May 20, power corporation staff brought 16 utility poles to the house for use in landscaping and creation of a retaining wall.
To support his claims, Schell tabled print-outs of grainy digital photos that show QEC workers dropping the poles into place using a corporation cherry-picker truck.
But in a written response, Mackey said he doesn’t live in the house in question and that he gained no benefit from the activities shown in the pictures.
“Firstly, I can confirm that the residence in the photograph is not my personal residence but is in fact a dwelling owned and occupied by a family unrelated to me,” Mackey said.
“Secondly, allegations that suggest the use of corporate resources for personal benefit are unfounded and incorrect.”
Schell alleged six employees each spent about 16 hours of labour on the work, for a total of about 96 hours.
But the QEC release that contains Mackey’s statement said QEC staff did no work on the site, except to drop off the utility poles, a job that took between 30 and 45 minutes.
And the QEC said the utility poles are free giveaways, produced by upgrade work on Iqaluit’s power grid.
In the spring of 2010, the QEC began a three-year, $14-million upgrade to Iqaluit’s power distribution system, aimed at raising the carrying capacity of the city’s power lines from 5,000 volts to 25,000 volts.
That work includes replacing numerous old utility poles with new ones.
To avoid paying dump fees on the old poles, the QEC said they offer them to individuals or community groups at no charge.
“These decommissioned poles must not be used in fresh or salt water or for firewood, as they are specially treated to withstand Nunavut’s extreme weather,” the QEC said.
The QEC said they expect to decommission about 100 old power poles in Iqaluit this year, in the second phase of the city’s power upgrade project. And they said anyone may ask for one by calling 979-7534.
In a television news story broadcast June 28, CBC North reported that land registry records appear to show that Mackey and another QEC employee lease the land under the unit in question and that City of Iqaluit records show them as owners.
Mackey’s statement, however, says it’s “a dwelling owned and occupied by a family unrelated to me.”
And in an email message to QEC employees sent by QEC manager Eddie Rideout June 30 and obtained July 5 by Nunatsiaq News, the QEC said the hydro poles were not used at Mackey’s property.
The message said Mackey lives at house 4129A. But the poles were delivered to house 4129B.
“The President & CEO lives in house 4129A, the other half of this duplex. The President did not request the power poles, nor were they used on his property,” Rideout’s message said.
The message went on to say QEC staff only dropped off the poles and were not involved in building up a driveway, drilling piles or backfilling with gravel.
QEC’s press release also says sorry to the family who live in 4129B.
“Finally, QEC would like to extend an apology to the family who reside in the home depicted in the photographs for any embarrassment they may have suffered as a result of the misinformation provided to, and published by, CBC media…” the QEC said.
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