MPs have asked federal auditors to investigate the reasons and processes behind spending $8 million on a solar-powered warehouse at Rideau Hall.According to Blacklock’s Reporter, members of the Commons Public Accounts committee described the expense for the groundskeepers' garage as extraordinary.“We have record numbers of Canadians who are accessing food banks,” said Conservative MP Kelly McCauley (Edmonton West, AB). “We’ve got people struggling with mortgage rates. To have $8 million on a luxury barn needs to be looked into so we can put a stop to this practice.”The Canadian Taxpayers Federation, through an Access to Information request, disclosed on October 18 that the cost of the groundskeepers' garage was $8,039,853.The Public Accounts committee learned the building's features included a freight elevator and fibre optic wiring.McCauley said the $8 million cost exceeded the asking price of mansions in Edmonton’s priciest neighbourhoods. “I went looking on Realtor.com,” he said. “In Edmonton’s river valley, we have a house, about $5 million or $3 million less than the barn.”“It has an eight-car underground garage,” said McCauley. “It has a 30-foot indoor waterfall, six bathrooms and what looks to be about a half-acre on the river valley among the most expensive properties in Edmonton, and it’s still $3 million less than building a luxury barn we didn’t actually have to buy land for. We already own the land.”The committee adopted a Conservative motion to have the Auditor General examine the costs and construction of the facility. “At this point, we now have more questions but no answers,” said Conservative MP Jake Stewart (Miramichi-Grand Lake, NB), sponsor of the motion.“This Rideau property, it is literally just one big racket, the racket at Rideau,” said Stewart. “It should be a series of novels we’re going to write in due time. There is no value for money.”“In my riding, just for an example, the community of Doaktown built a brand new, modern, state-of-the-art hockey arena, and it was under $7 million,” said Stewart.“Picture that.”The Rideau project was given the go-ahead by a federal property manager, the National Capital Commission. On November 21, executives from the Commission testified that the $8 million warehouse project was completed within the original budget.“The project budget authority was $8.6 million,” testified Tobi Nussbaum, CEO. “The project was delivered at $8.04 million. Included in that $8 million in terms of the projected budget was about a million dollars in contingencies and risks.”“Eight million dollars is a lot of money and I have a responsibility to my board and to the taxpayers of this country to deliver all the National Capital Commission budget as effectively and efficiently as possible,” said Nussbaum.
