VICTORIA – New Democrat MLAs continued to press the Campbell government today to come clean on the “world-class cost overruns” in the Vancouver Convention Centre Expansion Project (VCCEP) that are the result of mismanagement by friends and political insiders of Gordon Campbell.



Tourism Critic Norm Macdonald challenged the Campbell Liberals to come clean on the actual costs of the convention centre overrun, which is nearing $400 million. The Minister of Tourism has chosen to protect Liberal insiders instead of standing up for the taxpayers of B.C., said Macdonald, the MLA for Columbia River – Revelstoke.



“The minister responsible, Stan Hagen, restructured the VCCEP Board without waiting to receive the Auditor General’s governance and financial review,” said Public Accounts Critic Rob Fleming.



“The project is out of control and bleeding money. The government couldn’t even wait to receive the Auditor General’s report. That’s an admission that the situation is beyond critical,” said Fleming , MLA for Victoria – Hillside , who attacked the project’s “world-class cost overruns.”



Today’s questions came a day after New Democrat Leader Carole James called on the government to tell the truth about convention centre overruns that led to a restructuring of the expansion project’s board. “That overrun alone could cover off the deficits crippling health authorities with bed cuts and layoffs of nurses,” James told the Legislature.



New Democrat MLAs also questioned the role of long-time Campbell insider Ken Dobell, who until Friday served as chair of the expansion project board and still remains on the board.



“Neither the Premier, the minister, nor the Premier’s friend running the project will take responsibility for the $400 million cost overrun,” said Olympics Critic Harry Bains, the MLA for Surrey – Newton . “Instead they keep pouring taxpayers dollars into the project, rewarding government friends and insiders for incompetence and leaving taxpayers to pick up the bill.”



Bains, Vancouver – Mount Pleasant MLA Jenny Kwan and Esquimalt – Metchosin MLA Maurine Karagianis urged Gordon Campbell to fire Dobell and other expansion project board members who are responsible for the cost overruns.



“The expensive mismanagement by the Premier’s friends proves that Gordon Campbell doesn’t care about the needs of taxpayers,” said Kwan.



“Instead of cleaning up this expensive mess, the Campbell government is busy trying to cover up the mismanagement, and keep taxpayers in the dark,” Karagianis said.