Democracy Gone Astray

Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.
This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media – main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.

[NOTE: Due to changes I haven't caught on time in the blogging software, all of the 'Original Article' links were nullified between September 11, 2012 and December 11, 2012. My apologies.]

Friday, May 11, 2012

Study of real estate rich crown corporations sparks speculation

Questions are swirling about the government’s plans for the crown corporations that administer some of Canada’s prime real estate after a former Conservative cabinet minister revealed the government has initiated a study into them by an external consultant.

Testifying before a parliamentary committee, Gerry Weiner, chairman of the board of the Old Port of Montreal Corporation, said the consultant is looking at the Old Port, Downsview Park and Canada Lands Corporation. Between them, they oversee hundreds of millions of dollars worth of property across Canada including a large stretch of Montreal’s waterfront and the CN Tower.

“I don’t know,” Weiner responded when asked by Liberal MP Denis Coderre whether the government is about to change the way the Old Port is run. “All I know is that a contract was given to a consultant to do an analysis of four corporations like Canada Lands Company and Downsview.”

However, Weiner’s revelation immediately triggered speculation by Coderre that the government is setting the stage to overhaul the way Montreal’s Old Port is run and possibly allow some of the land to be developed for condominiums.

“There is no smoke without fire,” he said. “I think there are some people in the government would would like to reappropriate the Old Port corporation and put it under the (management) of Canada Lands Corporation.”

A spokesperson for the Old Port said the firm hired to conduct the study is Sussex Circle. Staff at the Old Port were told the firm was doing “an exploratory study of the roles and responsibilities of the Canada Lands Company and its subsidiaries, Downsview Park and the Old Port of Montreal Corporation.”

“In the context of this study we responded to questions during an interview with a representative of this firm,” Nadia Paquet, director of public relations, told iPolitics.

Weiner said Old Port officials were interviewed about two months ago.

The public works department’s proactive disclosure website lists three contracts awarded to Sussex Circle by the department since January 2011 – two in February 2011 and one in November 2011. All three contracts were just below the $25,000 threshold that would have required them to go to public tender.

Officials with public works say the study of the Old Port, Downsview and Canada Lands was ordered to help Public Works Minister Rona Ambrose understand the “roles, the responsibilities and how it flowed.” However, they could not explain why that wouldn’t have already been part of Ambrose’s ministerial briefings when she assumed responsibility for the three crown corporations.

Canada Lands Company acquires surplus property from the federal government and then either develops, sells or retains it. The Old Port and Downsview crown corporations manage properties in Montreal and Toronto.

The revelation that the government is taking a closer look at the three real estate rich crown corporations comes as the president and chairman of the Old Port of Montreal Corporation were hauled before the Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics committee to explain reports of lavish spending on travel, catered meals and chauffeur driven travel on the part of President Claude Benoit. All of it was signed off on by former vice-president of finance Richard Tardif who represented himself as a chartered accountant even though he didn’t have the title when Benoit hired him.

Although Benoit maintained the crown corporation ran its finances responsibly and along Treasury Board guidelines, she was grilled by both Conservative and NDP MPs alike who accused her of wasting money and charging part of an Australian vacation and cruise to taxpayers by combining it with a business trip that didn’t involve any meetings.

“I think you are well paid and what I would say to you is in the future pay for your own vacations,” said Conservative MP Dean Del Mastro.

Michelle Bakos, spokesman for Ambrose, said the minister was upset to hear the reports of Benoit’s spending and has asked Canada’s auditor general to look into it.

While Weiner was not chairman when the trip took place, he defended Benoit, saying she has made the Old Port a prime tourist destination and the Australian trip sparked two initiatives at the Old Port – an urban beach and this summer’s Star Wars exhibit.

Original Article
Source: ipolitics
Author: Elizabeth Thompson

No comments:

Post a Comment