If we want a government that protects taxpayers’ money and promotes accountability, we need politicians with the guts to enforce those reasonable standards.

No project needs an injection of accountability more than the Bluenose restoration.

Three months have passed since the “scathing” report from the Auditor General on the Bluenose restoration project. The AG described the government’s handling of the project with words such as “baffling,” “disappointed,” and “failure.” Premier Stephen McNeil even referred to the project as a “boondoggle.” (Photo sashafatcat/Flickr/CC BY)

The language used to describe the project is unlike the plain and bland terms more typically used in an auditor general’s report. Not even the MLA expense scandal rustled up this type of language from the previous Nova Scotia AG. In that case, four MLAs were ultimately convicted of crimes related to their expenses.

The AG’s report flagged problems with the Bluenose rebuild including that the Department of Communities, Culture and Heritage did not plan well enough for the Bluenose project, the roles/responsibilities were not clear for those involved and the time lines and budget were not realistic.

To be sure, the government deserves some credit for pledging to implement the recommendations of the AG. One recommendation – to move the responsibility for the project from Department of Communities, Culture and Heritage to the Department of Transportation – was acted on immediately. This was a positive move given the Department of Transportation is used to dealing with infrastructure projects like this one.  

It’s a step in the right direction but taxpayers should expect more when their money is mismanaged to the extent that it was with the Bluenose. As of yet, the total number of people held to account for the millions wasted, bad decisions and ineptitude that led to the Bluenose sinking from the pride of our nation to the butt of jokes, is a big fat zero.

We don’t know of anyone who has been fired, demoted or even reprimanded.  

If this had been a private company, would anyone expect those responsible to still hold a job afterwards?

Doing nothing sends the message that it’s perfectly fine for government workers to waste and mismanage taxpayers’ money. The project one government worker screws up will be moved to another government department for someone else to fix.

The issue of accountability is important today because the final chapter of this saga has yet to be written. There are still plenty of questions left unanswered.

How much more will we spend on consultants like the MHPM project managers who signed a $375,000 contract but have already billed the government $1.6 million and are still charging $120 an hour?

What are the government’s plans once she’s completed?

When will she sail?

Will she ever be certified to sail?

And of course, what will the final cost be?

After all these years, and all the money that has been spent, the final cost of the project is still a mystery.

It would be like going to a car dealership, bringing home a car, parking it in the driveway but never knowing how much you have to pay for it or if it will ever work.   

Nor do we know who will pay the outstanding bills – the government, the builder or other consultants on the project that the government once threatened to sue?

What has happened to the Bluenose is nothing short of a tragedy.

It would be nice to move on and allow the Bluenose to have a second chance to do the job it was meant to do as our province’s sailing ambassador. But before that can happen, taxpayers deserve accountability. Without proper accountability, the Bluenose saga will continue.