Halifax report: Consultants ate up millions

From the Nova Scotia Chronicle:

Commonwealth Games consultants ate up millions

$9.5 million went into $3.4-million bid

By MICHAEL LIGHTSTONE Staff Reporter

Almost all the money for a $3.4-million bid book that could never be delivered to the Commonwealth Games Federation in England covered consulting and professional fees, says an accounting report on Halifax’s defunct proposal to host the 2014 Games.

The expense is noted in an accounting review released Friday by the provincial government and Halifax Regional Municipality. The report says $9.5 million was spent putting together the proposal.

Canada’s bid for the event died in March when the municipality and province pulled their support because of the estimated $1.7-billion price tag for hosting the Games.

More than $2 million in bid money was spent on fees for such professionals as architects. Another $1 million went to consultants.

The bid book from Halifax was to be a detailed proposal presented to the federation in London in May. Last week, the 2014 Games were awarded to Glasgow, Scotland, which beat Abuja, Nigeria, in the competition for the sports spectacle.

People who opposed metro’s plan to stage the event complained the bid process was too secretive. (full article here)