Time For Another Provincial Rail Inquiry
So now the question on the Trillium Line is who hired TransitNext to build the project? TransitNext was a subsidiary of SNC Lavalin which is now called AtkinsRéalis.
One wonders if someone in a witness protection plan gets their name changed that often.
In fact, that question has been around for sometime.
So who hired TransitNext when it failed the technical necessities twice for building the line? Who said “give them another chance.” When does that happen in huge bidding contests?
Who overruled a committee recommendation that the company not get the Trillium Line contract? And why was TransitNext chosen? Furthermore, who benefited from the TransitNext hiring and how? Anyone? Ottawa’s taxpayers and transit users didn’t benefit and they pay the bills. The line was two years late.
That’s your money being spent. Anybody see this problem coming?
Maybe there is no substance to the lawsuits by Pomerleau and others against TransitNext … they haven’t been heard in court. But companies don’t launch multi-million-dollar lawsuits unless they believe that something went horribly wrong. Pomerleau no doubt has better ways to spend its money and time. We’ll find out if Pomerleau is right at the end of the case … if it is settled in court and there isn’t a non-disclosure agreement.
If ever there were a situation where a provincial inquiry is necessary … again … it is the awarding of the TransitNext contract for the construction of the Trillium Line. We remember how the inquiry into the Confederation Line ended … with one of the partners under a different name building the Trillium Line. Sound familiar?
Generally when somebody buys a clunker of a car, that person doesn’t buy that same car again.
Who benefited from the hiring (if anyone) and why was the winner of the bidding competition chosen despite failing the technical specs twice?
The taxpayers of this city deserve an explanation for how their money was spent.
Over to you Premier Doug Ford.
Do the right thing.
Oh yes and one other thing. Why wasn’t the city’s auditor general’s office not all over this thing? Same goes for the audit committee.
Ken Gray
For You:
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Night Mayor On York Street: MULVIHILL
Where Was AG’s Office On This LRT Woe?
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It seems like the whole LRT “thing” is one big shell game in which the final outcome isn’t to locate under which shell the pea lies, but what the name of the pea (chickpea, black-eyed pea, pigeon pea) will be when the correct shell is lifted and the pea revealed.
I hate to say it but at this point, who cares? The last inquiry did absolutely nothing. Nobody was held to account, no heads rolled, the people who we thought were responsible all left their jobs voluntarily. I’m just so tired of the world these days… nothing ever ‘sticks’ to those who do terrible things. I give up.
Nicholas:
Don’t give up. Do the best for you and yours.
cheers
kgray
Nicholas, while the main perpetrators of the Confederation Line fiasco did not suffer any legal consequences, they did suffer reputational and earnings consequences.
Jim Watson is now limited to acknowledging greetings from seniors as he stands in line at the Tim’s at Carlingwood.
Steve Kanellakos left in disgrace. Yes he has his pension, but he would still likely be taking in a $350K-$400K pay cheque but for the LRT Commissioner’s blunt assessment of his egregious malfeasance.
John Manconi left early (about a year before the Commissioner’s report) but his reputation took a well deserved hit.
Small wins, but wins nevertheless.