PWSGC Selling Canadians' Public Properties -- Getting rid of evidence?

Why is our government selling public properties? Is it getting rid of the evidence?

Does anyone believe that what has come out at the Gomery Inquiry is all of it? The Sponsorship / Slush Fund / ADSCAM campaign formed a part of a multi-billion dollar PWGSG Department of this Liberal government.

As Canadians, do you think it is wise to allow this government to sell off real estate that belongs to the taxpayers of Canada -- given what just this one inquiry, Gomery, is revealing?


* Would you trust this government to carry out a "deal" and have Canadians' best interests at heart? Forget their spin; can you believe anything about 'savings' to Canadians from the sponsorship party?

* Would you trust PWGSC Minister Scott Brison to make the best deal, given his inexperience as an MP, let alone a Minister in Canada's Parliament?

* This is Scott Brison, a man first elected to Parliament less than a year ago, a shiny new turncoat from the Conservative Party of Canada who lost to another leadership contender and who subsequently, received what appeared to be a quid pro quo from the Prime Minister. Brison was given a ministerial position as head of PWGSC though he is even now listed on the PWGSC website as a PC, not a Liberal.

* This is Scott Brison, the man who fronts for and avoids substantive answers in the House of Commons -- questions directed toward Canada's extraordinarily timid Prime Minister Paul Martin, the big time shipping tycoon who is still hiding from Question Period as much as possible -- and dithering until he can get his votes in a row.

* This is Scott Brison who, as a greenhorn minister, hardly knew his way around the Parliament Buildings a year ago; yet, now Brison is in charge of selling off property belonging to the taxpayers of Canada -- for 'savings'?

You can bet your boots that the Sponsorship Fund is only the tip of a massive iceberg of abuse of Canadians' tax $$$.

Would sale of these Public Works & Government Services Canada properties stymie the Auditor General of Canada, preventing her from auditing past contracts? If so, would Canadians ever be able to find out whether the contracts gave value for $$$ involved? . . . . . . . Or is that the point?

If there were no corruption involved, surely there is no reason to expedite the sales? There is no pressing reason to do a "deal" before the Auditor General looks at the contracts. Thus far, the government has been able to shred a lot of evidence, it seems. Why should the government on behalf of all Canadians not allow the Auditor General to do the work Canadians want and need her to do -- before steps are taken to get rid of the evidence of possibly more shady dealings?


Ottawa shops properties -- Selling at top of market: Bay Street help sought in structuring deals Paul Vieira and Garry Marr, April 19, 05, Financial Post

OTTAWA and TORONTO - The federal government is one step closer to selling its $3.3-billion portfolio of office buildings in a real estate transaction slated to be one of the biggest in Canadian history.

Scott Brison, federal Minister of Public Works, is expected to announce today the government will seek Bay Street's advice as to how Ottawa can maximize the value of its office space portfolio, in which roughly 250,000 bureaucrats toil daily.

Sources familiar with the announcement -- to be made at a speech to the Economic Club of Toronto -- suggest the federal government wants an advisory team of investment banks selected by the end of the summer, with a proposal on what to do with its 320 buildings some time in early 2006. [. . . . ]

Now, what team of investment banks and bankers would our Liberal government choose? Why just check the list for the Liberal-friendly ones, of course!