Halifax councillors decry Games secrecy

A meeting to update Halifax regional council on costs associated with the Commonwealth Games has been postponed, fuelling suspicion the bid committee is afraid to open its books.

Councillors found out Tuesday the March 6 meeting has been pushed back two weeks.

"I'm just as frustrated as members of the public," Coun. Andrew Younger said. "I want to see a public debate on this."

Rumours have been circulating that the cost of hosting the international sporting event in 2014 would top $1 billion, up from the $785 million originally planned.

Faced with a potentially bigger bill, severalcouncillors havethreatened to withdrawtheir support.

Like Younger, Coun. Gloria McCluskey said she's tired of the secrecy and is ready to hear some real figures. She suspects the delay in disclosure is based on a fear of a backlash.

"I think if the figure gets out, all hell will break loose, and now I think they're probably rejigging the numbers," McCluskey said.

The meeting on March 20 to update council will be behind closed doors, but McCluskey has a motion ready to go to turn the private session into a public one.

Meanwhile, Mayor Peter Kelly and Premier Rodney MacDonald are lobbying the federal government to come up with more than the $400 million it committed in November.

"We do not have a professional sports organization like an NHL team or something like that, and as a result we don't have the infrastructure," MacDonald said.

"They did it in Calgary, they did it in Vancouver, and it's high time that Halifax simply be treated on an equal footing."

Glasgow, Scotland, and Abuja, Nigeria, are also competing for the Games. The winner will be announced in November.