The release of information by Alberta Infrastructure appears to be dictated by political expediency

when it involves what has become popularly known as former premier Alison Redfords Skypalace.

On March 28, 2014, the day CBC News broke the Skypalace story, Infrastructure Minister Ric McIver
arranged for a media tour of the premiers penthouse. McIver gave media interviews in which he
said that as soon as he heard rumours that there might be a residential component to the
penthouse, he phoned a senior manager in his department and ended it.

Documents obtained by CBC News through freedom of information show McIvers press secretary
had been given access to the documents and had produced talking points for McIver at least two
weeks before the documents were released to CBC.

On May 5, 2014, more than a month after CBC News broke the Skypalace story,
Marcia Nelson, deputy minister of infrastructure, wrote a memo at McIvers request. In the memo,
Nelson tells McIver, as per your direction of January 14, 2014, that there will be no further work
related to residential occupancy on the 11th floor of the Federal Building.

Nelson also says meeting rooms will be constructed.

The following day, McIver had the memo tabled in the legislature. He then resigned from cabinet to
run for the Conservative leadership.

McIvers claim that he killed Skypalace becomes a mantra in his campaign and, as proof of his
claim, he pointed often to the memo he directed his former deputy minister to produce.

An Infrastructure spokesperson told CBC News that when McIver asked Nelson to produce the
memo she did not know McIver intended to run for the leadership. Nelson has declined repeated
interview requests from CBC News.

The Infrastructure department has repeatedly refused to price out Skypalace. To the contrary, it
claimed it could not separate out the cost. It also refused repeated requests for another tour of the
space.

The email exchange below details attempts by CBC News to have Infrastructure price out the cost of
Skypalace and provide a tour of the space. CBC News sought the information after being told by the
Office of the auditor general of Alberta that is should be possible to price out the suite.


From: Charles Rusnell [mailto:charles.rusnell@cbc.ca]
Sent: Wednesday, August 20, 2014 11:54 AM
To: Sharon Lopatka; CHARLES RUSNELL; RUSSELL, JENNIE; Cunliffe, Gary
Subject: Information Request
Ms. Lopatka - I am formally requesting that Alberta Infrastructure price out the cost of the premier's
suite in the Federal Building.
To be clear, I am not seeking the amount paid to the architects for design work. I am seeking the
actual cost related to producing the two rooms, with showers, that now exist.
Obviously, public money was used to produce the suite and we believe the public would be greatly
interested in the cost to them of the suite. This should not be an issue for a government that
regularly claims to be transparent and accountable.
Also, we are requesting an opportunity to tour the rooms at your earliest convenience. The
department was very accommodating when our first story appeared in late March. In fact, Mr.
Hogan took the initiative in setting up a media tour. We therefore can't see any reason why we can't
tour the suite/meeting rooms now.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation in this public-interest matter.
--
-----------------------------------------
On 21 August 2014 14:02, Sharon Lopatka <sharon.lopatka@gov.ab.ca> wrote:
Hi Charles,
The cost of the Federal Building redevelopment was quoted as a whole so no cost estimates are
available specifically for the 11th floor. The cost of the Federal Building redevelopment project was
not estimated by floor as there are many systems that service the entire building that would be
difficult to accurately allocate on a floor by floor basis (ie, heating and ventilation, plumbing, and
security).
I understand that Parker explained to you last week that we are not doing tours at this time.
Sharon
--------------------------------------
From: Charles Rusnell [mailto:charles.rusnell@cbc.ca]
Sent: Thursday, August 21, 2014 2:13 PM
To: Sharon Lopatka; RUSSELL, JENNIE; CHARLES RUSNELL; Cunliffe, Gary
Subject: Re: Information Request
Ms. Lopatka - The problem with this answer is that we know that the original design was changed.
You paid to have it changed. So there must be some information that shows what the 10th and 11th
floors were supposed to cost, compared to what they cost after the change orders were made.
Clearly, the auditor general believes the department can cost out the additional cost, but simply has
not.
In relation to the tour, it can't possibly be more dangerous now to tour the 11th floor than it was in
late March. Five months of construction have occurred. If anything, it is safer so we don't believe Mr.
Hogan's explanation.
In any case, we're not seeking his permission, we're formally asking the department.
If it is a political decision not to provide a tour, then we will ask Mr. Drysdale [subsequently
Manmeet Bhullar became minister] for an explanation wherever we find him.
Again, our information request involves the expenditure of public money and we believe the public
has a right to know how much of its money went to the suite.
---------------------------------------------------------------
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Sharon Lopatka <sharon.lopatka@gov.ab.ca>
Date: Fri, Aug 22, 2014 at 1:00 PM
Subject: RE: Information Request
To: Charles Rusnell <charles.rusnell@cbc.ca>, "RUSSELL, JENNIE" <jennie.russell@cbc.ca>, "Cunliffe,
Gary" <gary.cunliffe@cbc.ca>

Hi Charles,
All documents have been released through FOIP, the Auditor General has looked into the Federal
Building and we consider this matter closed.
As I said we are not doing tours at this time. We will be holding a tour for all media prior to the
opening of the building to which you will be invited.
Sharon
----------------------------------------

On Thursday, Oct. 9, 2014, CBC News published details from documents we received through
freedom of information that reveal at least some of the costs to build the premiers penthouse
suite.

Later the same morning, Wildrose holds a news conference in front of the Federal Building at which
it is variously claimed Skypalace cost more than $2 million or nearly $1 million. The claims are
based on hundreds of pages of documents Wildrose researchers obtained through freedom of
information.

Despite the Infrastructure ministrys repeated claims that it was impossible to price out the cost of
Skypalace, Infrastructure Minister Manmeet Bhullar issued a news release later the same day saying
Skypalace cost $240,000. The release criticized the Wildrose for making allegations about the cost
that mislead the public.

Either Bhullar or the Infrastructure ministry makes Federal Building project coordinator Neil
McFarlane available to the media for interviews.