Robert Fonberg approved in May 2011 a plan to accelerate the renovation of the executive suite at DND’s downtown headquarters and have the construction finished by the summer.
The renovations were to “ensure that my staff and I continue to provide the best possible service to your office,” Fonberg told Defence Minister Peter MacKay.
The briefing note detailing the renovations was obtained by the Citizen through the Access to Information law.
DND confirmed in an email that the renovations, which cost $374,496, are now finished. The offices are for Fonberg and Matthew King, the associate deputy minister, as well as their seven support staff. Also included is a boardroom with video-conferencing facilities.
“The area in question had not been renovated since 1992; since then, new requirements emerged that are appropriate for the offices of the senior civilian leadership at National Defence,” the Defence Department stated in an email.
It did not outline what those new requirements were. Aside from noting the boardroom and video conferencing facilities, DND did not provide specific details about what was done in the renovations. But it did point out that since high-level meetings take place in the boardroom, security measures were taken in the construction of that part of the renovations.
MacKay’s director of communications, Jay Paxton, said in an email: “The approval of these renovations rests with the Department of National Defence.” MacKay’s office had nothing further to add.
But Gregory Thomas of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation said there is no justification for such an expense and he questioned why MacKay supported the renovations.
“There is no public support for this kind of lavish spending,” he said. “The fish rots from the head down. You can see ‘chopper boy’s’ fingerprints all over this.”
The ‘chopper boy’ reference is linked to the federation’s opposition to MacKay’s use of a search-and-rescue helicopter to transport him from a private fishing lodge. MacKay has defended that controversial flight, stating he was observing a search-and-rescue exercise. But military documents have raised questions about that claim.
MacKay had known about the renovation plan since November 2010, when work started on the project, according to the briefing note. It was put on hold during the federal election in the spring of 2011 and then reactivated in May of that year. Fonberg’s approval saw the work fast-tracked, with a start date for construction in June.
The briefing note to MacKay outlining approval for the renovations was sent three weeks after the DND/Canadian Forces 201 012 business plan was circulated to senior managers. That plan outlined the need to cut costs and reduce staff. It noted that 2,100 civilian positions would be cut over the next several years with more to follow.
The details of those cuts are expected to be announced in the upcoming federal budget.
“Accountability, transparency and sound governance are central to our strategic resource management approach,” stated the business plan.
But Thomas said the renovations are one more example of a culture of entitlement that is out of control at DND. “I can hardly wait for MacKay to stand up in the House (of Commons) and somehow wrap Afghanistan and the troops into his response to this,” he added. “I’m getting sick of his attitude and the way it’s cropping up in lavish spending like this.”
It has become common for government officials to respond to those criticizing defence spending by invoking support for the troops, and suggesting those who raise such questions are unpatriotic.
Thomas also questioned why DND had proceeded with the renovations when, in the next several years, the department will move to the former Nortel Campus at 3500 Carling Ave.
But in its email, DND stated that, even after the move to Nortel, the department will still use space at its 101 Colonel By Dr. headquarters and “as such, the renovations will serve taxpayers beyond the move to the Carling Campus.”
The email also noted DND worked to reduce the cost of the renovations. The original budget was $379,000, but DND was able to reduce that to $374,496 for a savings of $4,504.
Thomas said such savings do little to convince him of the value of the renovations, considering the future move to Nortel.
The federal government bought the Nortel campus for $208 million. But then the Defence Department quietly made plans to spend another $630 million on renovations for that site. DND tried to keep those renovation costs secret but the Citizen revealed them late last year.
DND is looking at moving into the site, starting some time in the next five years. It will transfer about 10,000 civilian and military personnel from other offices in Ottawa and Gatineau to the new site.
“They create the misleading impression that $208 million is the final price-tag and then we find out they’re going to blow another $630 million fixing it up,” said Thomas. “And then they spend $374,000 on offices for nine people. What’s going on at DND?
“Accountability, transparency and sound governance are central to our strategic resource management approach,” stated the business plan.
But Thomas said the renovations are one more example of a culture of entitlement that is out of control at DND. “I can hardly wait for MacKay to stand up in the House (of Commons) and somehow wrap Afghanistan and the troops into his response to this,” he added. “I’m getting sick of his attitude and the way it’s cropping up in lavish spending like this.”
It has become common for government officials to respond to those criticizing defence spending by invoking support for the troops, and suggesting those who raise such questions are unpatriotic.
Thomas also questioned why DND had proceeded with the renovations when, in the next several years, the department will move to the former Nortel Campus at 3500 Carling Ave.
But in its email, DND stated that, even after the move to Nortel, the department will still use space at its 101 Colonel By Dr. headquarters and “as such, the renovations will serve taxpayers beyond the move to the Carling Campus.”
The email also noted DND worked to reduce the cost of the renovations. The original budget was $379,000, but DND was able to reduce that to $374,496 for a savings of $4,504.
Thomas said such savings do little to convince him of the value of the renovations, considering the future move to Nortel.
The federal government bought the Nortel campus for $208 million. But then the Defence Department quietly made plans to spend another $630 million on renovations for that site. DND tried to keep those renovation costs secret but the Citizen revealed them late last year.
DND is looking at moving into the site, starting some time in the next five years. It will transfer about 10,000 civilian and military personnel from other offices in Ottawa and Gatineau to the new site.
“They create the misleading impression that $208 million is the final price-tag and then we find out they’re going to blow another $630 million fixing it up,” said Thomas. “And then they spend $374,000 on offices for nine people. What’s going on at DND?
Original Article
Source: Ottawa Citizen
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