Evidence of meeting #143 for Public Accounts in the 44th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was sdtc.
A video is available from Parliament.
NDP
Blake Desjarlais NDP Edmonton Griesbach, AB
Have you had to recuse yourself from any decisions during your time on the board thus far, and if so, why?
Board Director, Sustainable Development Technology Canada
Out of an abundance of caution, I did recuse myself from one board discussion. It was related to a procurement where a decision had been made by staff, but out of an abundance of caution I recused myself entirely from the decision. I have no conflicts—
Board Director, Sustainable Development Technology Canada
—with respect to clean-tech companies in Canada.
Board Director, Sustainable Development Technology Canada
It was related to a procurement where the staff had made a decision and it was being reported to the board, so I just recused myself from the decision.
NDP
Blake Desjarlais NDP Edmonton Griesbach, AB
I understand.
Had you had any conflict of interest training prior to your appointment at SDTC and during your time at SDTC?
Board Director, Sustainable Development Technology Canada
We have had a full briefing by the Conflict of Interest Commissioner's office, as well as by our independent conflict of interest and ethics adviser.
NDP
Blake Desjarlais NDP Edmonton Griesbach, AB
Did any companies of which you were an owner or a member of a board receive SDTC funding?
NDP
Blake Desjarlais NDP Edmonton Griesbach, AB
Did any companies that your family or friends owned or were members of the board receive SDTC funding?
NDP
Blake Desjarlais NDP Edmonton Griesbach, AB
Thank you very much, Ms. Morgan, for answering those questions. It's really important that we establish why you're on the board and your credibility on the board towards the end, as I described at the very beginning. Thank you for your co-operation.
I now want to transition to a very serious issue that we noted relative to your opening statement as well, which is the McCarthy Tétrault report.
In that report was a solution in some ways of the government to try to identify whether there was credibility to some serious HR concerns that the government was made aware of. They were presented to us at this committee, where we had an individual, the whistle-blower, whom we identified in this committee as Witness 1. Witness 1 testified at this committee that there were serious and long-standing issues with human resource management within SDTC. Some of those abuses stemmed from very deep issues of systemic violence, like racism, homophobia and sexism. There were really serious issues related to the treatment of employees at SDTC.
Prior to the report's being commissioned by the government, there were many non-disclosure agreements signed by former and even current employees of SDTC. The whistle-blower stated that these NDAs had limited the ability of employees to be truthful and fully transparent in the work related to the McCarthy Tétrault report.
Do you understand what the whistle-blower is saying here, and can you see that there's an obvious conflict between the ability to testify to one's own truth and experience while also being held back by an NDA? Do you understand the conflict?
Board Director, Sustainable Development Technology Canada
These allegations were comprehensively investigated by McCarthy Tétrault, and its report is a matter of public record. McCarthy Tétrault had complete access to all current and former employees, and it has published a comprehensive report, which will guide us along with the report of the Auditor General and the report of the office of the Ethics Commissioner going forward.
NDP
Blake Desjarlais NDP Edmonton Griesbach, AB
Specifically, do you understand the NDA requirements and how they could play a role in skewing the results of the McCarthy Tétrault report?
Board Director, Sustainable Development Technology Canada
The McCarthy Tétrault report is a matter of public record, and McCarthy Tétrault had complete access to all current and previous employees.
NDP
Blake Desjarlais NDP Edmonton Griesbach, AB
Do you understand that an employee could not testify to their experience during the McCarthy Tétrault report? Do you understand that?
Board Director, Sustainable Development Technology Canada
We are taking the McCarthy Tétrault report very seriously. It was an independent report that was conducted over time.
NDP
Conservative
NDP
Conservative
The Chair Conservative John Williamson
To begin our second round, Mr. Cooper, you have the floor for five minutes.
Conservative
Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Edmonton, AB
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Ms. Morgan, this is a yes-or-no question.
I take it from your testimony that, with respect to the reassessment process that is under way and with respect to each of the projects that had been approved by the previous corrupt board, the scope of the reassessments is to determine whether those projects satisfy the enhanced contribution agreement in order to be eligible for funding but does not include reviewing conflicts of interest that may have resulted in those projects receiving funding from the previous corrupt board.
Is that correct?