Poilievre calls for increased transparency at National Capital Commission

OTTAWA, ON – Today Carleton Member of Parliament Pierre Poilievre is calling on Minister Melanie Joly to reinstate transparency in NCC decision-making.

 

Since the Liberals took office, on three separate topics of significant local and national interest, the NCC refused to share key information with the public:

 

  1. The NCC is considering reducing the Sir John A Macdonald Parkway from four to two lanes. Despite repeated requests for further information, neither the NCC nor the minister have answered when the decision will be made, by whom, and in what forum.
  2. The NCC refused to release the evaluation scores used to determine the preferred bidder for the Lebreton Flats project.
  3. After the Liberal government reversed the Ottawa Hospital’s decision to locate its new campus across from the existing one, the NCC took over the duty of finding another location. Yet, a month later, the Commission has not revealed a single alternative location that it is considering. Poilievre had hoped to hold Health Committee hearings on Parliament Hill to question the NCC and relevant ministers on the hospital location, but Parliament closed for the summer before his motion could be voted on. The Commons Health Committee will consider the motion in the fall.

 

“I am very concerned that the NCC has become shrouded in secrecy ever since the fall,” said Poilievre. “These are just three projects of incredible importance to our capital region, but local residents are kept in the dark.”

 

“I call on the National Capital Commission’s minister, Melanie Joly, to allow the body to share this information, and ensure that transparency is the default for studies and decisions of the NCC,” Poilievre concluded.

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