House watchdog vows to press Transportation Department over bungled ferry purchase
CBC
Public hearings into the bungled construction and implementation of two high-priced ferries for Newfoundland and Labrador's intraprovincial fleet may take place this fall, says the man in charge of the House of Assembly public accounts committee.
Tony Wakeham said it's standard practice that hearings take place following the release of a report by the province's auditor general.
"Members of the [Department of Transportation and Infrastructure] will come in and we'll sit down and we'll ask questions, and the auditor general will be there and we'll follow up on further information in relation to the recommendations," said Wakeham, the Progressive Conservative MHA for Stephenville-Port au Port and chairman of the seven-member all-party committee.
The final report by the Office of the Auditor General into the process used to purchase the MV Legionnaire and the MV Veteran was released late last month.
The investigation was requested by the public accounts committee in 2018 following a series of mechanical issues and delays, and concluded that the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure did not effectively manage the construction and preparing for service of the two vessels.
It was "a real missed opportunity with respect to project management," auditor general Denise Hanrahan told CBC News.
The missteps "may have contributed to the significant operational delays, service disruptions and unplanned costs" for the two vessels, the report concluded.