TMX 70% over budget.

[AlbertaFarmer5]

"Finally got confirmation today from contractors, that every expense has to go through/be approved by a company set up by SNC Lavalin, for which they get their cut. The percentage suggested is obscene, so I won't repeat it unless it can be verified."

When you have a lot of envalopes to stuff to go all the way up the line to the top you need that exta.
The next step is do substandard work and pay off the inspectors.
SNC doesn't have to work in shithole countries anymore. They work right across Canada.
They must be doing hydro referb for Sask Power.

An acquaintance of mine worked for a federal regulator, and spent some time in Quebec. What SNC is accused of is just standard procedure in Quebec. They don't even attempt to hide it from the feds. If Contractors don't play by the rules, and bribe all the right organizations (and not all of them legal entities), they don't do any business, or worse.
Those entities have much more persuasive tactics than the government regulator.
It was a real shock to a naive westerner.

[shtferbrains]

To bad we have it moving out here. We didn't know how lucky we are.

Once they get the inspectors taking payoffs everything goes for shit.

Lots of the money laundering in BC real estate comes from Chinese
Bureaucracy.

[therealnorthernf]

I have boots on the ground at the pipeline.. One guy who has 20 years experience in pipeline work says.. Money is no issue.. find a pot hole with a few tadpoles in it, stop work move all the equipment a few miles and start over until they come across another reason to stop and move again... they spend more time moving equipment then working.. The gov't project manager has never had any experience with pipeline work, maybe no experience at all in construction.. lots more paperwork, fewer crew chiefs and a shortage of skilled pipeline workers.. covid restrictions that have 20-30% of the work force on sidelines..

Another guy just laughs at the 70% over budget, he thinks it is way over 100%... never saw anything like it before in his entire career.. Blames it all on the Gov't project manager.. wait forever to get any question answered, policy is always changing so continually having to get permission to do anything.. compared to other jobs nothing is getting done...

But the Big reason costs have sky rocketed.. all construction contracts are: Time Plus Costs... First Canadian pipeline being built under that type of contract.. The contractors don't give a damn when this gets done, they are making money and have no skin on the line..

Both guys believe this might be the last large scale pipeline ever built in Canada

Thank a Liberal

[sawfly1]

Of course liberals and snc are corrupt.
Conservatives just have different ones to be corrupt with.
Liberal or conservative, the same people pull the strings. And it is not the voters.

[shtferbrains]

Once corruption starts it is to good for any political group to stop.
Some individuals from any party might speak out but the ones at the top are set for generations.
Nobody rocks the boat.

[LEP]

Those things were all there before gov bought in. As for gov operated ?? who does gov work if not capitalist companys I am not aware of any pipeline cos that are gov owned and operated. Yes any time the gov gives out contracts all the thieves and crooks start figuring out how to steel all they can.

You are right, the pipe was in place. The first thing that happened when Trudeau bought the pipeline was was to order NEW pipe. They established a new standard for the pipe even though Kinder Morgan has 50 years experience building and running pipelines.

If you want to have something mismanaged let the government run it. They don’t know what they don’t know.