Canada\u2019s Consul General in New York City will have to explain the government’s decision to buy a $9-million condo in Manhattan’s famous “Billionaires\u2019 Row,” to a parliamentary committee<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tom Clark, the deputy minister of foreign affairs, as well as other departmental officials, have been summoned to the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates to justify the government\u2019s purchase of new unit just south of Central Park. Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly will also be called if the committee deems it necessary<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In tabling the motion to call Clark and other government officials, Conservative MP Kelly Block called the purchase of the condo \u201cdisturbing but not surprising,\u201d later adding, \u201cWe have seen the complete lack of spending controls on major procurements\u201d with the Liberal government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Last week, Global Affairs Canada (GAC) confirmed the department had purchased a unit in the Steinway, Tower located at 111 West 57th St. The condo will be used for \u201cnetworking receptions, official briefings, and hospitality events such as discussions with business and political leaders,\u201d wrote GAC spokesperson Jean-Pierre Godbout in an email<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe agree that $9 million for a New York condo for the Consul General needs to be examined,\u201d said Bloc Quebecois MP Julie Vignola, supporting Block\u2019s motion<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNine million dollars is a lifetime of work for the average person,\u201d Vignola told the committee<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The committee is also asking that the government provide a third-party assessment of the Manhattan property, if available. Th motion also stipulates the department must provide a list of \u201call properties, including addresses and listing prices, that have been viewed or considered for purchase for the Consulate General’s official residence in New York.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The statement from GAC pointed out the current residence for the consul general \u2014 located at 550 Park Ave. in Manhattan\u2019s Upper East Side neighbourhood \u2014 was last renovated in 1982 and does not meet new building codes nor standards of the departmen<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Citing significant investments needed to modernize the property, the department \u201crecommended a relocation to a new, smaller, more suitable, and more economical apartment,\u201d Godbout told CTV News<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Godbout said the move could save Canadian taxpayers more than $2 million and reduce ongoing maintenance and property taxes<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite the criticism and expense of having a Manhattan residence, former diplomat and current Senator Peter Boehm said it\u2019s an important place for Canada to promote its culture and trade<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf you want to play in the big leagues, you have to pay to some degree,” Boehm told CTV News in an interview<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Boehm admits the numbers may seem high, but adds that he has seen a number of other countries\u2019 missions in his travels and he believes Canada\u2019s is on par<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCanadian heads of mission, so ambassadors or consuls general, are housed very well and generally in the middle of the pack. So, not so lavish and also not so shabby, but pretty much where we are as a country,\u201d said Boehm<\/p>\n\n\n\n
More than a decade ago, the department of Foreign Affairs under Stephen Harper\u2019s Conservative Party started a program to sell off a number of properties and downsize others. Macdonald House at One Grosvenor Square in London, the then-residence of Canada\u2019s high commissioner in the U.K., was sold for $530 million to a developer from India<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Proceeds from the sale of the posh and historic mansion went to help offset renovations of the high commission\u2019s current location, Canada House, which is located at Trafalgar Square. Then-High Commissioner Gordon Campbell estimated that once the upgrades were completed, between $150 million and $200 million that could flow back to the central treasury<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Canada\u2019s Consul General in New York City will have to explain the government’s decision to buy a $9-million condo in Manhattan’s famous “Billionaires\u2019 Row,” to a parliamentary committee Tom Clark, the deputy minister of foreign affairs, as well as other departmental officials, have been summoned to the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":28435,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":{"subtitle":"","format":"standard","video":"","gallery":"","source_name":"","source_url":"","via_name":"","via_url":"","override_template":"0","override":[{"template":"1","single_blog_custom":"","parallax":"1","fullscreen":"1","layout":"right-sidebar","sidebar":"default-sidebar","second_sidebar":"default-sidebar","sticky_sidebar":"1","share_position":"topbottom","share_float_style":"share-monocrhome","show_share_counter":"1","show_view_counter":"1","show_featured":"1","show_post_meta":"1","show_post_author":"1","show_post_author_image":"1","show_post_date":"1","post_date_format":"default","post_date_format_custom":"Y\/m\/d","show_post_category":"1","show_post_reading_time":"0","post_reading_time_wpm":"300","post_calculate_word_method":"str_word_count","show_zoom_button":"0","zoom_button_out_step":"2","zoom_button_in_step":"3","show_post_tag":"1","show_prev_next_post":"1","show_popup_post":"1","number_popup_post":"1","show_author_box":"1","show_post_related":"0","show_inline_post_related":"0"}],"override_image_size":"0","image_override":[{"single_post_thumbnail_size":"crop-500","single_post_gallery_size":"crop-500"}],"trending_post":"0","trending_post_position":"meta","trending_post_label":"Trending","sponsored_post":"0","sponsored_post_label":"Sponsored by","sponsored_post_name":"","sponsored_post_url":"","sponsored_post_logo_enable":"0","sponsored_post_logo":"","sponsored_post_desc":"","disable_ad":"0"},"jnews_primary_category":{"id":"","hide":""},"jnews_social_meta":{"fb_title":"","fb_description":"","fb_image":"","twitter_title":"","twitter_description":"","twitter_image":""},"jnews_override_counter":{"override_view_counter":"0","view_counter_number":"0","override_share_counter":"0","share_counter_number":"0","override_like_counter":"0","like_counter_number":"0","override_dislike_counter":"0","dislike_counter_number":"0"},"jnews_post_split":{"enable_post_split":"0","post_split":[{"template":"1","tag":"h2","numbering":"asc","mode":"normal","first":"0","enable_toc":"0","toc_type":"normal"}]},"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[48],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\n