$136K Victorian sofas 'insensitive' to people in need, says opposition

Making four Victorian-era couches at a price tag of nearly $140,000 for the renovation of Newfoundland and Labrador's Colonial Building isn't money well spent, according to the provincial opposition.

PC MHA Craig Pardy said Monday the province has greater needs elsewhere.

"There are so many options and people in need out there at this point in time that I think they would look at this purchase as being insensitive to the plight of the people trying to make ends meet."

The comments come after tender documents for the renovations show Mount Pearl companyRedwood Construction will be paid$136,265 to create four large, circular sofas to serve as the centrepiece of the Colonial Building when it reopens to the public next year.

Steve Crocker, minister of tourism, culture, arts and recreation, called the purchases an "investment" for tourism, and said the project will be completed under budget.

While Pardy said he's happy to see the work done by a Newfoundland and Labrador company, he believes the couches could be secured in a much cheaper manner.

"I'm sure we have Victorian-era chairs in the historic district of Bonavista, and we certainly do in metro in St. John's,"he said.

"I'm sure if you put out a call for Victorian-era chairs, you would probably get a decent feedback or result."

Priorities should be refocused

Interim NDP Leader Jim Dinn saidthe money could go to needed projects like school renovationsand Newfoundland and Labrador Housing units.

"In some cases people have been waiting for months, over a year to get [housing]. But it's [government's] pet project, it's their legacy project, their image project, whatever you want to call it.It's an investment. But everything else is budget-based, it's an expenditure," Dinn said.

"I think they need to try to get their priorities a little bit more focused on the people who live here. Sometimes I don't know if they get that quite well."

The documents also showRedwood Construction was the only bidder on the project. Both Dinn and Pardy say the cost is grounds to have the contract retendered.

"No one is living in the Colonial Building. It will get by if we delay it," Dinn said. "But if we're talking about the lives of real people who are trying to keep a roof over their heads, who are trying to live in decent conditions, who are trying to put food on the table, a month is a lifetime."

"This is not a difficult decision," Pardy added. "The difficult decisions would be, how are you going to help people with the cost of living that currently occurs in Newfoundland and Labrador? That is the difficult decision. We don't see any action on that."

Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador