‘I Had No Role’: Committee Questions New York Consul General About $9M Residence

Tom Clark, Consul General of Canada in New York, listens in as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau talks to the media at the Service Employees International Union's (SEIU) Quadrennial North American Convention In Philadelphia on May 21, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Canada’s consul-general to New York has rejected accusations he was involved in the government’s purchase of a $9 million condo for his official residence in the city, following a Global Affairs email alleging he was “instrumental throughout the process.”

“I had no role whatsoever in deciding to sell the old residence, buy the new residence, or decide on its amenities or its location,” Consul General Tom Clark told the Government Operations and Estimates (OGGO) committee on Sept. 12.

“I only became aware of this email less than 48 hours ago. I too was taken aback by what was in it, because it was simply wrong.”

The committee has been investigating the federal government’s decision to sell the New York residence that formerly housed its consulate general to instead purchase a $9 million Manhattan condo located in an area of the city known as “Billionaire’s Row.” The former consulate, which Global Affairs Canada said was last renovated in 1982 and would have required $2.6 million in upgrades, was listed for more than $13 million.

Global Affairs Canada has said the new condo is smaller and more suitable, noting that the previous residence did not comply with the 2021 Accessible Canada Act that mandates barrier-free environments. The replacement, the agency said, would result in $7.4 million in savings for taxpayers.

Conservative MPs have argued the purchase was inappropriate at a time when Canadians are facing a cost-of-living crisis and many are unable to afford a home. 

In his opening statement before the committee, Clark said he was not involved in the decisions to sell the old residence or buy the new one.

Following Clark’s statement, Conservative MP Larry Brock referenced a June 17 email from a Global Affairs employee that said Clark had been “instrumental throughout the process” of “providing the green light for the selection of the new residence.”

 Clark responded that the person who wrote the memo was not involved in the process, and it had since been corrected to reflect that he had “nothing to do” with the residences. Brock responded by saying Global Affairs had attempted to “cover-up” for Clark after the $9 million condo purchase became a controversial story in July.

Questioned on Meeting With Trudeau

Clark was also questioned both about his meeting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau April 27 at the previous New York residence and the subsequent ride in Trudeau’s motorcade the next day. Clark said the two did not discuss the space or the possibility of him relocating to a new residence.

Conservative MP Stephanie Kusie suggested there were “inconsistencies in the timelines,” because Global Affairs announced shortly after the meeting that there were issues with the residence and it would be looking into purchasing a new one.

“I never spoke with the prime minister about the old residence, the new residences, or any residence,” Clark said, adding that there were roughly 80 people at the residence during Trudeau’s visit.

Kusie said she was concerned the June 17 email that implied Clark was involved in the condo purchase was corrected on July 25, a day after OGGO passed a motion calling for Clark to testify.

 “Why don’t you just stop the lying? When did you have a conversation with the prime minister about the necessity of a new residence?” she asked.

“When we get to the point of accusing people of lying, I think we are in very, very dangerous territory here,” Clark responded.

When NDP MP Taylor Bachrach asked Clark what the “rationale” was behind the amendments to the June 17 email, the consul general said it was “simply wrong” and that “all the other documents [the committee has] points in the other direction.”

“It’s just hard to imagine someone writing a memo and including information that has absolutely no basis,” Bachrach said.

“I share the astonishment that something would be written that is so completely wrong,” Clark responded.

 Liberal MP Ken Hardie responded to Conservative concerns about the cost of the new residence in New York by noting that the federal government’s previous embassy projects cost millions of dollars, with the new embassy in Pakistan already costing $7 million and the embassy in Afghanistan totalling more than $20 million.

“Next to that, the situation in New York ... seems to be quite mild,” he said.