HALIFAX – Almost exactly a year after the government requested it, Nova Scotia’s auditor general is set to release an audit of the troubled Bluenose II rebuild.
Nova Scotia Auditor General Michael Pickup will publish the document next Wednesday, but there are already indications what might be included.
“The auditor general’s report is really looking at ‘how did we get where we are,'” said David Darrow, deputy minister to the premier, in June 2014.
Late last year, the auditor general’s office shared with Global News how the audit will be structured. There will be at least three sections:
- project procurement
- contract terms
- project management
With the rebuild years behind schedule and millions over budget, the government has pointed the blame at a variety of targets.
The American Bureau of Shipping has been blamed for delays resulting from numerous requests to change the ship’s design. The project managers, MHPM, have been paid three times more than originally budgeted. A heavy steel rudder has prompted some naval experts to say the rebuilt Bluenose II could put lives at risk.
One item that likely will not be in the Bluenose II audit will be a smoking gun: a single issue or company that caused most of the project’s problems. Blame will likely be widely spread.
From that blame could come lawsuits. Numerous public officials have said they will wait for the results of this audit before making decisions about any possible legal action, which could recoup some of the construction costs.
Global News will have full coverage online and on television of the Auditor General’s report, Jan. 28.
READ MORE: Full Bluenose II story archives
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