Courageous Conversations

Detail from "The Dance Screen (the Scream Too)" by James Hart. Part of the permanent collection at the Audain Art Gallery, Whistler, British Columbia.

On March 21, the government I currently work for introduced a bundle of legislation called the "Fixing the Hydro Mess Act." They picked the name themselves, perhaps not seeing how it might backfire.

My team was responsible for the part that overhauls the Ontario Energy Board. When he announced the bill, the Minister called the OEB "broken," which I imagine for the people working there must have stung.

And now my team and I are meeting with the senior staff at the OEB to tell them what we need to work on to bring about the changes the government wants to make.

Our conversations are civil and professional, although there are occasional misunderstandings. 

My team and I will think we're talking about one thing. The OEB folks will think we're talking about something else. When we become aware of our mistake, we go back to the beginning and start again.

We don't joke around. And I was sorry, the moment I said it, when I invoked the "crumble into dust" scenes from the end of Infinity War as an image for the government's intentions for the OEB. 

I was worried the reference to pop culture -- and 50% obliteration -- was inappropriate.

But then the OEB lawyer and designated bad cop in the discussions brightened and said, "We'll know in two weeks!"

Maybe she didn't quite hear what I said. Doesn't matter. 

Thanks for reading!

Have a great week!

Karen