Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly defends the purchase of a $9 million condo for the New York consulate general before a parliamentary committee, calling it a necessary investment.

For an hour, the Liberal minister rebuffed accusations from conservative members of the committee who accused the government of wasting taxpayers’ money on a luxury condo located on Billionaire Street in Manhattan.

“It was not a political decision, because it was an operational decision, and many people, my officials, came to you and said that,” Joly said, referring to earlier testimony before the Standing Committee government operations and budget forecasts.

In several combative exchanges, Conservative MP Michael Barrett accused current New York consul general and former journalist Tom Clark of lying in his previous testimony before the committee, in which he claimed not to have been involved in the decision to purchase the new residence.

“We know he personally complained that his taxpayer-funded residence was not up to his standards because it did not have a luxurious kitchen or floor plan perfect,” Barrett said, citing documents obtained by Politico Canada.

A 2023 Global Affairs Canada study obtained by CTV News shows that three months after his appointment, the Canadian consulate general in New York informed the organization that manages the department’s properties that 550 Park Avenue “is not suitable for representational activities and that it is not suitable as a residence and requires immediate replacement.

The report notes that the current residence is not accessible to occupants and guests with disabilities. “The only accessible route to the building is via a rear service aisle to a service elevator via a rear entrance door,” according to the May 2023 document.

Clark denied playing any role in the purchase of the new residence when he testified before the parliamentary committee in September.

“This was entirely undertaken by the Ottawa real estate office,” Clark said. “I was not involved in choosing the new property, its amenities or its location.”

In July, Global Affairs Canada (GAC) confirmed that the department had purchased a unit in the Steinway Tower located at 111 West 57th St. The condo will be used for “networking receptions, formal information sessions and corporate events.” ‘hospitality such as discussions with businessmen and politicians’. executives,” wrote AMC spokesperson Jean-Pierre Godbout in an email.

According to the federal government, the current residence on Park Avenue in Manhattan was last renovated in 1982 and required extensive improvements and repairs, estimated at $2.6 million.

The public listing price for this residence is $13.1 million and government officials told the committee that the real estate agent handling the sale is pleased with how the file is progressing. “He received 38 different requests, and he received about eight visits from potential buyers, and he also received many questions from other real estate agents who went to visit him,” said Robin Dubeau, assistant associate deputy. Minister of Real Estate and Infrastructure Solutions (ACM) for Global Affairs Canada.

While emphasizing the importance of Canada’s presence in New York, Minister Joly declared that Afghanistan and Bangladesh are the only two countries not to have a diplomatic mission on Manhattan Island.

“We decided to make a key investment because we know that every country in the world is in the United States, and particularly in New York, and so we wanted to make sure that we were making the right investments,” Joly told the committee.

The minister also noted that other allies like the United Kingdom, New Zealand, France and Japan have invested tens of millions of dollars in new residences in Manhattan for their diplomatic missions.

“We need to be there because our like-minded partners, the Five Eyes and the G7, are there,” Joly said.