The Steinway Tower, home to Canada's consul general of New York City, is seen from Central Park, in Manhattan’s 'Billionaire’s Row.'Photo by Getty Images

Global Affairs execs not told $9M NY consul general condo was on Billionaires' Row

One official suggested the media would likely focus on the $9-million cost of the residence, not the savings

by · National Post

OTTAWA — Senior leaders at Global Affairs Canada were not told that a $9-million condo the department purchased as a new residence for Canada’s consul general in New York was located in a famously posh Manhattan district known as Billionaires’ Row, an internal email shows.

Emails obtained by the National Post through federal access-to-information legislation provide a look into how officials handled questions over the controversial purchase, which the Conservatives have condemned as wasteful and have suggested was arranged by the Liberals as a special perk for former political reporter Tom Clark, now the consul general.

Consul general Tom Clark was 'instrumental' in choice of $9M official N.Y. residence: internal briefing noteOTTAWA — An internal briefing note from Global Affairs Canada in June described New York consul general Tom Clark as having been “instrumental” in the choice of his new official residence, but the information was corrected in an update a month later.Catherine Lévesque, 12 Sep 2024Renovating NYC consul general's residence would cost $2.6M, so Global Affairs bought $9M condo instead: documentsOTTAWA – Renovating the current residence of Canada’s consul general in New York would have cost $2.6 million and left “fundamental issues,” so the government bought a new $8.8-million condo on “Billionaire’s Row” instead, according to Global Affairs Canada.Christopher Nardi, 15 Aug 2024