Conservatives pledge to force Tom Clark testimony on $9M NYC condo purchase

Conservative ethics critic Michael Barrett says his party will move a motion to force testimony from Canada's representative in New York if he does not appear at a Tuesday committee study into the purchase of a $9-million condo in Manhattan.

Conservative ethics critic Michael Barrett says his party will move a motion to force testimony from Canada's representative in New York if he does not appear at a Tuesday committee study into the purchase of a $9-million condo in Manhattan.

Earlier this month, New York Consul General Tom Clark was invited to appear at Tuesday's House of Commons Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates.

But a spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada said in a statement to CTV News: "Consul General Clark is unavailable on the date initially proposed. However, he has indicated he is happy to attend, and work is underway with the committee to find an alternate date."

The Conservatives say if Clark does not appear at tomorrow's meeting, they will move a motion to force his testimony. 

"Mr. Clark needs to answer for what's happening in New York City," Barrett said in an interview with CTV News.

Barrett told CTV News he expects his parliamentary colleagues to support the summons motion. "The invitation to Mr. Clark was one that passed the committee, and so we expect that when Conservatives put forward a motion to formally summon Mr. Clark to appear that that will pass the committee and that it will be the first order of business that the committee is seized with."