Premier Kathleen Wynne denies she was part of what opposition parties call a “cover-up” to keep the true $1.1 billion cost of scrapped power plants from the public.

In her second appearance before MPPs probing the cancellations in Oakville and Mississauga prior to the 2011 election, Wynne insisted she wasn’t aware the tab for axing Oakville in 2010 would be more than the $40 million frequently stated by her and other top Liberals.

“I have said exactly what I knew,” said Wynne, who was calmer in this appearance than her April testimony several months before Ontario’s auditor-general found the total cost of axing both plants could hit $1.1 billion — well above the government’s original $230 million estimate.

The auditor said the Oakville tab may reach $815 million alone.

Progressive Conservative energy critic Lisa MacLeod (Nepean—Carleton) said that makes no sense because senior bureaucrats and officials from government agencies have testified previously that the government had been informed all along that costs would be higher.

“Why would you lowball it?” she asked Wynne in one of several exchanges, repeating testimony from deputy energy minister Serge Imbrogno that officials knew in December of 2011 that the Oakville cost could hit $700 million.

“Someone is lying and I think it’s not the three bureaucrats,” MacLeod charged in a scrum with reporters after the 90-minute legislative committee hearing wrapped up.

Tension between Wynne and MacLeod was palpable at times, with the premier jumping in on one of the MPP’s statements by asking “are you done?” MacLeod shot the phrase back at Wynne later as the premier wrapped up an answer.

Wynne told reporters she has not lied.

“I have been completely open and honest about my involvement, what I knew and why I took part the way I did. I, in good faith, worked to make the best decisions possible,” said the premier, calling on the committee to write its report on how to avoid similar problems with power plant locations.

New Democrat MPP Gilles Bisson grilled Wynne, who was a cabinet minister when the Oakville plant was axed, over her signature that appeared on a cabinet document authorizing the government to negotiate a settlement with plant builder TransCanada Energy.

“You wrestled them to the ceiling,” he said.

Wynne said she signed the document because the government had advice that sending the cancelled contract to litigation could end up costing taxpayers even more money.

“Nobody knows what the costs of litigation would be,” she testified, acknowledging she could not predict how negotiations would work out. “This was obviously fraught with unknowns.”

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Opposition parties said it was wrong for Wynne to sign such a document with no idea of the consequences for taxpayers.

“I don’t think a responsible politician would have signed off on a blank cheque,” said MacLeod.

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