iPolitics has learned that silver cutlery, trays and serving pieces used for years in Parliament’s posh Parliamentary Dining Room, were put up for auction on GCSurplus — the government’s equivalent of EBay. It is the same website the government uses to offload surplus filing cabinets and old desks.
The listing was posted May 13. When it closed a week later on Tuesday afternoon, the winning bid was $567.
Included in the lot are 17 bowls, 19 trays, 106 silver spoons, 822 silver forks and 927 silver knives.
A call to the contact listed on the site confirmed that the lot described as assorted used cutlery, was silver and came from the Parliamentary Dining Room.
There is no mention that the cutlery and serving pieces come from the historic venue, no mention it is silver and nobody appears to have taken a minute to clean tarnish off some of the pieces. Nor is there a minimum bid listed or any evidence of an evaluation of market value – a requirement that was initiated after the historic silver from Rideau Hall, including wedding gifts to Queen Elizabeth’s grandparents, was accidentally sold off at bargain basement prices on the same website.
Heather Bradley, spokeswoman for the House of Commons and Speaker Andrew Scheer, said the items were reviewed before they were sent off to be sold.
“In keeping with House Administration asset management practices, prior to posting the items for sale on GCSurplus they were reviewed by House of Commons Curatorial Services. After a thorough review it was determined that the items posted for sale did not have any historical significance.”
“The items in question are silver plated, not solid silver,” Bradley added.
While taxpayers help fund the restaurant, few Canadians ever get to set foot inside it unless they are invited by an MP, a Senator or one of the others on the select list of those allowed to make reservations. The restaurant, rebuilt after the devastating fire that struck Parliament in 1916, is known for its spectacular view of the Ottawa River, its china and silver and the meals prepared by Judson Simpson, a former member of Canada’s culinary Olympics team and Canada’s first Certified Master Chef.
However, the restaurant hasn’t been as busy in recent years. Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his wife Laureen are rarely spotted in it. Conservative Cabinet ministers and opposition front benchers, who are often tied up around lunchtime with their rehearsal for question period, find it hard to spare time for a sit down lunch.
When the restaurant’s traditional silver flatware disappeared from view a little while ago, replaced with run of the mill stainless steel, few people appear to have noticed.
It’s not the first time heritage silver has gone on the auction block in recent years.
In 2009, Rideau Hall sent boxes of silver off to GCSurplus, including silver flower baskets former staff revealed were on loan from Buckingham Palace, fine china teacups painted by well known Nova Scotian artist Alice Hagen and a gold trimmed table mirror.
After news reports alerted the government to the accidental sell off and then Heritage Minister James Moore gave the order to buy it back, the government ended up paying nearly $100,000 to recover historic antiques it sold off for less than $4,000.
Senator Serge Joyal, an expert in both Parliament and antiques, said there may have been a good reason for disposing of the restaurant’s silver, particularly pieces that don’t have the parliamentary crest. However, he questioned why it wasn’t offered first to the Canadian Museum of History or parliamentarians.
“It belongs to the people of Canada.”
Original Article
Source: ipolitics.ca/
Author: Elizabeth Thompson
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