National

House committee launches investigation into purchase of Canada's new $9M condo in NYC

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 24 Jul, 2024 11:23 AM

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 today 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.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Ottawa will shut down shady post-secondary institutions if provinces don't: Miller

Immigration Minister Marc Miller says Ottawa is ready to step in and shut down shady schools that are abusing the international student program if provinces don't crack down on them. Miller says there are problems across the college sector, but some of the worst offenders are private institutions — and those schools need to go.

Ottawa will shut down shady post-secondary institutions if provinces don't: Miller

Snowfall warning for parts of Lower Mainland could mean sloppy Vancouver commute

Environment Canada has issued a snowfall warning for parts of B.C.'s Lower Mainland, with a wintry mix heralding a sloppy evening commute for Metro Vancouver. The warning also covers the Fraser Valley and the Sea to Sky Highway, with up to 25 centimetres expected in Whistler.

Snowfall warning for parts of Lower Mainland could mean sloppy Vancouver commute

Some bundled wireless plans not as cheap as before Rogers-Shaw merger: watchdog

Certain cellphone plans in Western Canada are not as cheap as they were prior to the Rogers-Shaw merger, Canada's competition watchdog says. Jeanne Pratt, the Competition Bureau's senior deputy commissioner of mergers and monopolistic practices, told MPs on Monday that before Shaw was purchased by Rogers Communications last April, the company was "a particularly growing and disruptive competitive force" in B.C. and Alberta.

Some bundled wireless plans not as cheap as before Rogers-Shaw merger: watchdog

Online harms: Liberals seek to create digital safety commission, new ombudsperson

The Liberal government plans to create a new digital safety regulator to compel social-media platforms to take action against online harms and remove damaging content — including child sex-abuse material and intimate images shared without consent — under penalty of millions of dollars in fines. Justice Minister Arif Virani tabled the long-awaited Online Harms Act on Monday, along with a suite of other amendments to the Criminal Code and the Canadian Human Rights Act.

Online harms: Liberals seek to create digital safety commission, new ombudsperson

Real estate association economist doubts B.C.'s flipping tax is worth the trouble

Policy watchers are split on the value of British Columbia's upcoming provincial flipping tax targeting those looking to make a quick buck in the real estate market. Brendon Ogmundson, chief economist of the British Columbia Real Estate Association, says the tax could end up reducing the overall number of homes on the market while only applying to a small number of properties.

Real estate association economist doubts B.C.'s flipping tax is worth the trouble

Woman who stopped to check on police spike belt damage killed by fleeing truck

Officers have found a stolen car used to flee a deadly hit-and-run following a high-speed police chase on the weekend, and they continue to search for a suspect. The Honda Civic was recovered early this morning outside Edmonton.