House Committee Launches Investigation Into Purchase of Canada’s New $9M Condo in NYC

House Committee Launches Investigation Into Purchase of Canada’s New $9M Condo in NYC
Central Park and midtown Manhattan are shown in this aerial view, in New York, on Aug. 29, 2007. The Canadian Press/AP-Mark Lennihan
The Canadian Press
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A House of Commons committee will look into the Liberal government’s recent purchase of a $9-million condo in Manhattan for its consul general to New York.

The government operations and estimates committee unanimously agreed on July 24 to hold several meetings next month to investigate the purchase.

The committee has directed Global Affairs Canada to provide a list of properties, including addresses and prices, that were viewed or considered for purchase for the consul general’s official residence in New York.

It is also calling several witnesses including Tom Clark, consul general to New York, the deputy minister of Global Affairs, representatives from the Procurement Department and Treasury Board, and a panel of New York City real estate agents.

The committee also says it will call Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly to testify if necessary.

Global Affairs has said a previous New York City residence, purchased in 1961, wasn’t up to code and did not meet the department’s standards, prompting the new condo purchase last month.