By Greg Dunlop
Ottawa Centre MP Paul Dewar says Stephen Harper misled him over possible plans to expand the Prime Minister’s Office into what was to be the home of the new National Portrait Gallery.
Last December, Dewar asked Harper in the House of Commons if the government had plans to move into the former American Embassy on Wellington Street. The prime minister said no.
However, a recent Access to Information request by the Ottawa Citizen revealed that the Public Works department was being asked to consider “the use of 100 Wellington Street as a Centre d’Accueil for the Prime Minister to meet foreign heads-of-state, conduct bilateral meetings and hold high level functions.”
“He certainly misled me to believe that he wasn’t going to be looking at expanding his office or the use of his office,” says Dewar. “He might be able to say, well my question was about expanding the prime minister’s office. I think that’s playing around with words. The bottom line is he said he had no plans to do that and here we are finding out there are plans.”
Due to have opened in 2005, the building was earmarked as the future home of a national portrait gallery seven years ago. But spiraling costs and delays put the project in jeopardy. Meanwhile, millions of dollars worth of Canadian portraits wait in the Gatineau Preservation Centre.
Dewar acknowledges the prime minister needs a place to meet foreign dignitaries but says Harper already has many other sites available, including Parliament Hill, the Museum of Civilization and Rideau Hall.
“I think we should be investing in a place to hang our portraits and our history rather than a place for a prime minister to hold court. . .” “This building, a historical building right across from Parliament Hill, is one that should be open to the public.”
The revelation comes at a time when Dewar and other MPs are preparing for a new session of Parliament, which opens Oct 15.
“Time and time again these Conservatives show they just can’t be trusted,” he says. “I’m really pushing to uncover the agenda of the government on the privatization of our national treasures. Instead of having a publicly financed, publicly administered museum they want to get private sector involvement, which disturbs me deeply.”
In addition to the portrait gallery, Dewar’s other priorities for this session of Parliament include cleaning up the Ottawa River and starting community consultation over housing developments on LeBreton Flats.
Getting LeBreton flats housing development consultation process up and running will be a critical test for the National Capital Commission, Dewar says.
“What we need now is to clean up the application process of the NCC,” he says, describing 10,000 people on the public housing waiting list in the national capital as a disgrace. He wants federal government money to deal with the public housing crisis.
“If you want to deal with homelessness you need to put your money where your mouth is.”
In the last session, Dewar sponsored a private members’ bill that would have ensured federal government responsibility for the Ottawa River. It’s an issue he’s still pushing, arguing the proposed Ardoch uranium mine southwest of Ottawa could deplete water quality in the capital.
“In the shadow of Parliament Hill, we have an opportunity to take over the regulation of the Ottawa River which right now has no federal regulation,” he says.
Putting in the proper infrastructure, he adds, would spell the end of raw sewage running into the Ottawa River during flash floods.
The federal government’s leadership and regulation is essential on environmental issues, Dewar argues. However, he remains skeptical about the government’s “do nothing” approach to climate change.
“What Prime Minister Harper is trying to do is green himself by diversion,” he says. “We’re going to be taking him on the issue of climate change.”
Dewar continues to be critical of the government’s hands-off approach to the Elgin Street Parole Office controversy, accusing Public works and Government Services of dragging their feet about the office’s relocation. Parents with children attending the nearby Elgin Street Public School have been demanding the parole office be moved since it opened three years ago.
The Parole Office Board says it will vacate its present site when its lease, from a private party, expires in two years.
Many will feel that’s not soon enough, says Dewar, but thankfully, parents with children at the nearby school haven’t raised the “fear factor.”
While laughing off a possible fall election, Dewar says he won’t be holding his breath for the government to change its agenda.
“We’ve been clear; unless the government has a full change in its agenda . . . they won’t have our support.”