The two deputies who appeared before the committee, Mr. Marshall and Mrs. Cochrane, went through the factors that influenced their assessment of the economic value of Place Victoria. There were several factors.
If you didn't have to move, that would save money. If you didn't have to fit up the space or bring in new IT systems, that would save money. If your space requirements were lower than originally anticipated, that would save money. But most important--the way I read the testimony given to this committee--information may not have been in the hands of the Auditor General in a timely way that the lease rate changed dramatically. It was originally contemplated to be $430, and after negotiations it turned out to be $308. That's about a 28% difference. It obviously led them to the conclusion that the Place Victoria space was good economic value.
The other side of the equation was the anticipation of how quickly the new space in Place Bonaventure could be leased to other government offices. That's where the expectations of the officials were not fulfilled.