(Ottawa) The department responsible for the major repairs to Parliament may well manage them effectively, but despite itself it is facing delays due to the slowness of parliamentarians to make up their minds.
In a report tabled in parliament, the Auditor General of Canada, Karen Hogan, notes that “key decisions on certain requirements” by the House of Commons and the Senate “were not made in a timely manner.”
“Given delays by parliamentary partners in making some key decisions, the Department did not have all the elements required to complete the scope of work for Center Block and the Parliamentary Visitor Center in a timely manner” , she wrote.
A decision that was expected to be made by spring 2020 on the final design for the use of Center Block’s East Yard was not approved until March 2022. still not been made at the end of the verification period.
Ms. Hogan criticizes the fragmented decision-making approach that leads to these delays. The Ministry of Public Services and Supply had however proposed in March 2022 that the presidents of the House of Commons and the Senate participate in the works oversight committee with Minister Filomena Tassi, who then held this portfolio. “The partners failed to agree on this proposal,” she laments. The group ultimately decided to meet “ad hoc, as needed,” but ultimately no meeting with parliamentarians had taken place when the Auditor General looked into the matter. The House of Commons and the Senate make each decision separately, making the process cumbersome.
The cost of repairing the Center Block of Parliament could range between $4.5 billion and $5 billion, according to the most recent estimates. So far, the Auditor General finds that the department has kept spending well below the approved amount. Of the 5 billion approved, only 881 million has been used. Spending is expected to increase as construction progresses.
Renovations to Center Block, which began in 2016, are scheduled to be completed in 2030 or 2031. The iconic building, built between 1916 and 1927, normally houses the House of Commons and the Senate. The two rooms were moved during the construction period, the first in the West Block and the second in the century-old former train station in downtown Ottawa.
Ms. Hogan recommends that the ministry produce a progress report at least twice a year. Public Services and Procurement Canada is committed to providing a semi-annual update to Parliament.
