Skypalace plans still in place, auditor general says

Just days after Alison Redford resigned amid scandal, the same report that documented her controversial travel spending has revealed plans are still in place to continue work on her luxury penthouse 'premier’s suite.'

CBC News first broke the story about Redford’s plans to build the penthouse suite, dubbed the “Skypalace,” in March 2014.

• Alison Redford’s penthouse plans extended into late 2013
• Taxpayers billed $173K for Redford suite, documents show
• 'Skypalace' facts confirmed by senior bureaucrat
• NDP calls for investigation into ‘missing’ Skypalace documents

The suite was to be funded by taxpayer money, but was designed to include rooms for both Redford and her daughter, along with a guest hosting and lounge area, and seated formal dining for up to 12 people.

The total cost to taxpayers for consultation work on the suite was reported to be $173,000, as of May 2014.

After news broke of the planned suite, PC party members – including current party leadership candidate Ric McIver –slammed the project. 

"I started fixing the rot at the top before the leadership race started,” said McIver earlier this week after Redford announced her resignation. "I killed the sky suite back in January."

However, Merwan Saher's report released Thursday shows the residential plans are still going ahead. In fact, Saher said he was unable to find any evidence the construction was ever cancelled in the first place.

Instead, the auditor general's report shows the posh living quarters will be built as planned, but will be turned into more general-use rooms.

"What is now being built on the 11th floor is a residential suite that will have meeting room, rather than bedroom, furniture," he said.

In light of the news, Wildrose leader Danielle Smith says McIver hasn’t been truthful with the public.

"He claims that he killed the Skypalace. Well, it looks to me like the Skypalace is still very much going ahead. You don't need to have grooming areas and washrooms if you are going to be putting something together as a meeting room."

Alberta Infrastructure told CBC News it would cost too much money to change the floor plans yet again.