Talk about a reno money pit..Department of Public Works figures show Parliament’s iconic Centre Block closed January 28, 2019 for a promised 10-year reno at $3.04 billion. Construction has now expanded to 12 years at up to $5 billion..“We started a reconstruction process without actually knowing what the final project will look like,” said Conservative MP Blaine Calkins (Red Deer-Lacombe, Alta.)..“Am I missing something?”.The public works department on Tuesday in a submission to the House affairs committee said costs and construction deadlines had changed..“What is in place to make sure this doesn’t end up being something that costs four times more in hindsight than what we planned a few years ago?” said Calkins..Conservative MP Eric Duncan (Stormont-Dundas, Ont.) questioned the scope of the renovations..“Would it be fair to say the parliamentary precinct is going to be under construction, I’m going to guess, for the next 20 years?” asked Duncan..“There is a lot ahead of us,” replied Rob Wright, assistant deputy minister of public works..“What is ‘on time’?” asked MP Duncan..“We continue with a construction schedule of 2030, 2031, then a period of time for Parliament to be able to properly commission the building,” replied Wright..“What is the budget figure as of today?” asked Duncan..“$4.5 billion to $5 billion,” replied Wright..The department said it had already spent $3.3 billion on contractors..“How many contractors are involved?” asked Conservative MP Brad Vis (Mission-Matsqui, B.C.)..“It would be very difficult today to give you an exact number,” replied Wright..MP Vis noted it has been more than a decade since any independent auditor examined costly renovations of various parliamentary buildings..Total costs of Hill renovations were put at $1.4 billion by then-Auditor General Denis Desautels in 1998. Costs were revised to $1.5 billion by a federal advisory committee in 2001, and estimated at $5 billion by Auditor General Sheila Fraser in 2011..No current total exists..“We don’t have an overall estimate for all of the work,” Wright said..Other renovation projects went over time and over budget. The Department of Public Works in 1992 estimated refitting Parliament’s West Block would cost $460 million, later revised to $769 million, and then $862.9 million in 2018. A new Senate office building budgeted at $219.8 million ran to $269 million and had so many deficiencies its opening was delayed for six months.
