Parliament buildings, computers ailing, Fraser says Toronto Star
OTTAWA—Canada’s historic parliament buildings are crumbling and government computer systems are on the verge of collapse because bureaucrats can’t get their act together, Auditor General Sheila Fraser said Tuesday.
And she warned that delays in both cases have driven the estimated costs of renovations and upgrades into the billions of dollars.
“These building are part of Canada’s heritage and are critical to Parliament’s operations. The governance arrangements are hindering rehabilitation work while the buildings continue to deteriorate,” Fraser said.
“I think it is sad,” she told reporters.
Likewise, her spring audit points out that aging government computer systems are on the verge of collapse because bureaucrats have failed to recognize the seriousness of the problem even though the result could deny Canadians basic social services.
At risk is the delivery of Old Age Security, Canada Pension Pan and Employment Insurance cheques and tax collection and rebates.
