Information & Ethics Committee on Nov. 8th, 2023

Evidence of meeting #91 for Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was project.

A video is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

Committee Business

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Douglas McConnachie Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Financial Officer, Corporate Management Sector, Department of Industry

Annette Verschuren Chair, Board of Directors, Sustainable Development Technology Canada

Leah Lawrence President and Chief Executive Officer, Sustainable Development Technology Canada

Sheryl Urie Vice-President, Finance, Sustainable Development Technology Canada

Clerk

6 p.m.

Chair, Board of Directors, Sustainable Development Technology Canada

Annette Verschuren

The money goes to the equipment and the labour associated—

6 p.m.

NDP

Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON

Do you receive a salary from NRStor?

6 p.m.

Chair, Board of Directors, Sustainable Development Technology Canada

Annette Verschuren

Yes.

6 p.m.

NDP

Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON

How much do you receive from NRStor in compensation?

6 p.m.

Chair, Board of Directors, Sustainable Development Technology Canada

Annette Verschuren

I'm not sure that is something I want to say. It was $120,000 in the last couple of years.

6 p.m.

NDP

Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON

Every year.

6 p.m.

Chair, Board of Directors, Sustainable Development Technology Canada

Annette Verschuren

Yes.

6 p.m.

NDP

Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON

So out of the $200,000, $120,000 went into your compensation.

6 p.m.

Chair, Board of Directors, Sustainable Development Technology Canada

Annette Verschuren

It certainly did not. It went into the project.

6 p.m.

NDP

Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON

Which was funded by the organization that you are now the chair of, correct?

6 p.m.

Chair, Board of Directors, Sustainable Development Technology Canada

Annette Verschuren

Yes.

6 p.m.

Vice-President, Finance, Sustainable Development Technology Canada

Sheryl Urie

If I could explain how eligible costs—

6 p.m.

NDP

Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON

No, I don't need you to explain. Thank you very much.

Ms. Lawrence, I'm going to ask you a set of questions.

Do you know somebody named Aldyen Donnelly?

6 p.m.

President and Chief Executive Officer, Sustainable Development Technology Canada

Leah Lawrence

Yes, I do.

6 p.m.

NDP

Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON

What is your relationship with Aldyen?

6 p.m.

President and Chief Executive Officer, Sustainable Development Technology Canada

Leah Lawrence

She's a person that I've known in the ecosytem for about 20 years.

6 p.m.

NDP

Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON

Would you consider them a friend?

6 p.m.

President and Chief Executive Officer, Sustainable Development Technology Canada

Leah Lawrence

I would.

6 p.m.

NDP

Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON

Were you aware of her role in the ALUS ecosystem project?

6 p.m.

President and Chief Executive Officer, Sustainable Development Technology Canada

Leah Lawrence

I was. I declared it to the project review committee at the time that the ALUS project came forward.

6 p.m.

NDP

Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON

Did you recuse yourself from any conversations regarding the project?

6 p.m.

President and Chief Executive Officer, Sustainable Development Technology Canada

Leah Lawrence

I discussed it with the project review committee. They determined that because the person was a subcontractor, and because I have no voting role on the project review committee, I could stay in the room for the conversation.

6 p.m.

NDP

Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON

Did you involve yourself in the conversation?

6 p.m.

President and Chief Executive Officer, Sustainable Development Technology Canada

Leah Lawrence

Not that I recall.

6 p.m.

NDP

Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON

You don't recall?