QUESTION PERIOD — Public Services and Procurement
Parliament Hill Renovations
June 3, 2021
Senator Gold, two years ago, at the Senate’s Internal Economy Committee, the senior government official in charge of the massive Centre Block construction project would not tell me a cost or a time estimate for completion. Two and a half years into this huge construction project which has continued throughout COVID, and the Trudeau government still has not told Canadians how much this will cost taxpayers and when it will be done. Yet, yesterday, media reports provide the federal government’s Public Services and Procurement Canada, or PSPC, department renovation cost estimates for the Senate’s Victoria Building at $370 million, and East Block at $569 million.
Senator Gold, this is puzzling. Both of those projects would not even start until after Centre Block is completed at least 10 years from now and PSPC has those cost estimates, so why not Centre Block? Clearly the Trudeau government must know the cost and time frame two and a half years into the project, but they are not telling Canadians. Is it too big for them to disclose, especially right before an election?
Senator Gold, as the Leader of the Government in the Senate, you should be briefed on the most important renovation in the country and one that directly impacts the Senate. How much will the Parliament Hill Centre Block construction project cost taxpayers and when will it be done?
Senator, thank you very much for the question. As senators would know — and senators in this chamber are more directly involved with this process than I am — this is a huge project dealing not only with Centre Block but with the whole Parliamentary Precinct. It is my understanding that, in fact, the government is still awaiting direction from the Senate with regard to certain aspects of the project. I should add it’s also awaiting some direction from the House of Commons side with regard to requests from this chamber and others for aspects of the work in Centre Block. These aspects of the project carry certain costs.
Again, I defer to my colleagues in this chamber who are involved with the subcommittee dealing more closely with it, but I know there’s back and forth between the Senate representatives and the officials responsible for the overall project. As I understand it, there still remains no agreement on some aspects of the project and that is why, in fact, the final cost of the project cannot be fully determined.
I should add as well, colleague, as we know from the days preceding our vacating Centre Block, that the very beginnings of the project, and indeed the first year, if not more — and again I defer to colleagues with more expertise in this area — were largely exploratory. Frankly, they didn’t know what they would find when they started opening up the walls. There’s no hiding costs from Canadians. This is a complicated project and we in the Senate and our counterparts in the other place are also active partners in trying to provide the specifics for the project in its totality.
Senator Gold, the historically significant East Block is one thing, but why would the Trudeau government even renovate the Victoria Building, which has no historical value, at a projected cost of $370 million? Why not just demolish that building and build a new one, no doubt at a lower cost, with fewer problems?
Again, thank you for your question. What is to be done in the areas occupied by current buildings is a matter that is, in fact, at the heart of the planning exercise, as I understand it, that is going on. There are different points of view emanating from the Senate and senators with regard to that area and Victoria in particular, and that is a matter that’s still being discussed between those responsible for the project and representatives from the Senate.
