Consul general to New York answering questions over $9M luxury condo purchase

After weeks of pressure, Canada’s consul general Tom Clark is testifying on Thursday before a House of Commons committee about the purchase of his new official residence in New York that generated a lot of political attention over the summer.

It will be the first time Canadians will hear from Clark after reports emerged in July that the federal government had bought a new $9 million piece of luxury real estate for him to live in. The condo is located within the world's thinnest skyscraper on "Billionaire's Row" in Manhattan.

The federal government has said Canada's former Manhattan residence was last renovated in 1982 and required significant upgrades that were estimated to cost $2.6 million. Officials have also contended that buying the new residence will save Canadian taxpayers millions of dollars and reduce maintenance costs.

But the Conservatives have argued that the new condo is another example of the Liberal government putting its elite friends before Canadians, especially during a cost of living crisis.

In testimony back in August, a senior Global Affairs Canada official told MPs that Clark had no influence on the government’s decision to buy the new property.

"There was no influence from Mr. Clark. He was not involved in the consultation or decision process," senior assistant deputy minister at Global Affairs Canada Stéphane Cousineau told the committee on Aug. 22.

Clark was invited to appear back on Aug. 26, but Global Affairs Canada told CTV News then that he was “unavailable on the date initially proposed.”

The former official residence is currently listed for $13 million.

Clark was appointed Canada’s consul general in New York in 2023. He previously worked for more than forty years as a broadcast journalist for several organizations, including CTV News and Global News.

With files from CTV News’ Rachel Aiello