Evidence of meeting #59 for Government Operations and Estimates in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was work.
A video is available from Parliament.
Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company
McKinsey has exited Russia. We exited a year ago. We have no activities whatsoever in Russia.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Yes, but Russia invaded Ukraine in 2014, sir. It took a heck of a long time for you to realize what was happening in Crimea and the Donbass.
I'll come back to my question, which was not answered. Could you clearly tell us whether the rules were followed?
It's not about whether you take the rules seriously. It's about whether you actually follow them. The government says you didn't follow all of the rules. Did you follow all of the rules?
Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company
Mr. Chair, I'd like to clarify this, because my interpretation of the press release was that it said two things. The first was that there was no political involvement in the selection of McKinsey for contracts. The second was that the rules were not followed. It was not clear who was or was not following the rules.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
That's correct. It said, “However, there are indications that certain administrative requirements and procedures were not consistently followed.”
You're telling us that rules were followed, and the government is saying that rules were not followed. I didn't say that it was wholly on one party or the other. Clearly rules were not followed. Do you accept that rules were not followed in the awarding of these contracts?
Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company
If you follow the word of the independent review that TBS did, it would say that some of the rules were not followed.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Okay. I hope you believe that, but it's contrary to what you said in your initial testimony: that rules were followed.
Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company
No, what I said was that McKinsey follows the rules.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
You received contracts through a process that did not follow the rules. You either didn't follow the rules or you benefited from the government's not following the rules.
You talked about digital transformation. Did you advise the government at any point on the Phoenix pay system?
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Has McKinsey done opioid work in Canada?
Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company
This is an important question. The answer is that McKinsey has done no opioid sales and marketing work in Canada.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Have you advised Purdue Pharma in Canada or any other opioid manufacturers?
Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company
McKinsey has done no opioid sales and marketing in Canada.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
You don't do it, obviously, but you're advising companies that do it. Is that correct?
Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company
We do not advise on opioid sales and marketing in Canada.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Have you done work for Purdue Canada?
Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company
Mr. Chair, I'm here, and I'm happy to take questions about our relationship with the federal government and the work we've done and the results we've produced.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Yes, that's great.
I'm asking you a question. Have you done work for Purdue Pharma Canada?
Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company
I do not believe we have done work for Purdue Canada.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Okay.
Have you done work for opioid manufacturers here in Canada?
Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company
I don't know.
I have been the managing partner of McKinsey since September 2022.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Right. Okay.
Could you send a follow-up to the committee, please, about which opioid manufacturers you have done work for in Canada?
McKinsey analysts were advising the Prime Minister's growth council. Is that correct?
Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company
McKinsey was providing data and analytical support to the growth council.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Were any of the analysts who worked on the growth council also working on other paid projects for the Government of Canada?
Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company
Again, McKinsey was providing data and analytical support to the growth council. I do not know the specifics of what happened to those folks after that.