Auditor general to audit Pan Am Games security contract

Provincial auditor general Bonnie Lysyk is launching a probe into a controversial Pan Am Games security contract awarded an American-based firm even though it was by far the highest bidder.

The legislature’s public accounts committee agreed with NDP MPP Paul Miller (Hamilton East-Stoney Creek) that the $81-million contract awarded to Contemporary Security Canada (CSC) warranted a value-for-money audit, in part because its bid was $14 million higher — as first reported in the Star — than the runner-up Ontario firm.

“We will be doing that review,” Lysyk told reporters at Queen’s Park.

She said the audit will look into this contract as well all other private-sector contracts dealing security at the 2015 Pan am Games.

“The team I have got for this will start probably within about five weeks and likely will be reporting in early fall,” Lysyk said.

Miller later applauded the auditor general probing the CSC contract as well as any other private security contracts that pop up.

“I am thrilled that the auditor general can get to the bottom of it as an independent third body, who gets to turn over rocks that we (committee members) couldn’t turn over,” he told the Star.

Tory MPP Rod Jackson (Barrie) said the security audit is a good start.

“I don’t think it goes far enough. I actually, at some point, would like to see the auditor general look at the Pan Am Games in general,” Jackson said.

Nick Migliore, president of Reilly Security of Toronto, whose firm came second to CSC, welcomed Lysyk’s investigation “because we believe there is a flaw in the scoring matrix … because it doesn’t really protect the taxpayers.”