Premier open to probe into $130M cost of Francophonie Games

New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs says he's open to asking a legislative committee to investigate the growing cost of hosting the 2021 Francophonie Games. 

Last week, Radio-Canada revealed the estimated cost to hold the international event in Dieppe and Moncton has surged to $130 million from $17 million.

On Tuesday, the Liberals revealed new details of the increased spending, including that a business plan filed in February pegged the cost of the games at $45 million.

David Coon and Kevin Arseneau of the Green Party both suggested in the legislature Tuesday that a committee investigate the growing cost. 

"Understanding how we got here and why we got here is important, and if we can create a committee to look into that, I would certainly be in favour of that," Higgs said in response to Arseneau. 

Tracey Suley, a spokesperson for the organizing committee, said in an email the group is "really looking forward to collaborating with our partners" to move the Games forward.

"Whatever approach that may be, we will work alongside them to deliver the best solution for our region and the games," Suley wrote.

Higgs said he'd also be in favour of releasing the details of the original bid submission. 

The organizing committee for the games has said the original bid used numbers included in a bid submission guide from the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie. It did not draft a complete business plan accounting for all costs until after the bid was won.

That plan, outlined at a news conference Monday, included added costs, such as $36 million for infrastructure in the two cities as well as $10 million for security. 

But the business plan the committee sent to the host municipal, provincial and federal governments on March 30, 2018,  was an increase from a version filed only one month before, two former Liberals ministers said Tuesday.

Roger Melanson, the former president of the Treasury Board, told reporters the committee had submitted a version of the plan in February that estimated a cost of $45 million, which was a 164 per cent increase from the initial bid budget. 

"As soon as we saw that, we said that's not acceptable," Melanson said. 

'Unacceptable'

A month later, he said the $130-million version was submitted, a 664 per cent increase from the initial budget. 

"So obviously, it was not only unacceptable but concerning," Melanson said, adding the province put "safeguards" in place.

They included asking the committee to review its business plan, changing the committee's funding from annual to month-to-month and assigning a deputy minister committee to oversee to the development of the business plan. 

CBC requested a response from Suley about Melanson's statements, but no response was provided before publication.

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The federal government hire an independent consultant to review the $130-million business plan. That review was carried out and a report was given to the federal and provincial governments in mid-September.

Its findings have not been made public. CBC has requested a copy of the report from the federal government. 

Thousands expected to take part

The event is expected to draw more than 4,000 athletes and artists to the cities. The games are open to athletes from 58 member countries of La Francophonie, regardless of the language they speak.

Kris Austin, leader of the People's Alliance, reiterated his call for Higgs not to spend any more money on any games. 

Higgs said the province won't spend more than $10 million. 

"Anything that goes above and beyond that goes above that needs to be found somewhere else," he said.