The provincial minister responsible for Trade Centre Limited says he’ll be looking into how the corporation was able to take over box office operations from the Metro Centre without approval from HRM council, and without documentation of the deal.

“One question will lead to another,” said Percy Paris, Minister of Economic and Rural Development and Tourism. “(Reporters) raise some questions around how did something get in to place with respect to Trade Centre. I’ll be having a discussion with Trade Centre, and see where it takes me.”

Paris says he is open to recommendations in the municipal Auditor General’s report into the transfer of box office operations from the Metro Centre to TCL.

That includes AG Larry Munroe’s suggestion that the city re-negotiate its current 40 cent commission rate for each ticket sold.

“I’m always looking at things, and always re-evaluating, doing analysis, and seeing what we can come up with that’s going to be mutually agreed and better,” he says. “Anything that’s going to make relationships better for the taxpayers of Nova Scotia, (the government) is open to.”

Fred MacGillivray was president and CEO of TCL when the transfer was made in 2006. He told Metro Halifax the transfer was handled by the current president and CEO, Scott Ferguson.

MacGillivray said Ferguson discussed the change with former CAO Dan English and notes the mayor and two councillors sit on the Trade Centre Board, saying they would have attended any meetings when those discussions took place.

The AG’s report says there’s no evidence the municipality knew of the deal or approved the transfer. The first mention of the change is an email from English to MacGillivray in 2007 asking for an explanation.