Auditor General Larry Dennis has claimed that certain parts of the Police/Court building were speeded up for political reasons.

Responding to Works and Engineering Minister Derrick Burgess' statement that the much delayed $78 million project in Hamilton had virtually leapt out of the ground since Canadian partner Lisgar had left the project at the end of 2008, Mr. Dennis said that was an interesting phrase.

He said: "I have a voice recording of a meeting held in Toronto on August 25, 2008, attended by the Permanent Secretary, Chief Architect, Project Manager, et al, at which the Construction Manager states the office building component of the project was to go ahead for "political reasons to try to bring something out of the ground sooner than later."

The Construction Manager continued: "In order for appearance purposes, people see the steel going up, through the Minister's office, even though it's not on critical path please try to get some steel up so that at least from the street it looks as though something is coming up."

Mr. Dennis said he would be willing to make a copy of the four-hour-plus recording available to legitimate interested persons.

He noted the Minister's own technical officers had voiced concern over the Canadian partner's specialised experience for this project.