The Industry and Technology Committee has voted to call the ethics commissioner to testify about his report on conflict of interest rule violations connected to the now-defunct Sustainable Development Technology Canada.
“We are seeking a meeting with the ethics commissioner to discuss his findings, and we need to do that quickly,” Conservative MP Rick Perkins said on July 31. “Because the transition is ongoing of this fund to the [National Research Council] right now.”
When Parliament resumes in September, the committee will hear from Ethics Commissioner Konrad von Finckenstein for one hour and former Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) Chair Annette Verschuren for two hours.
Hogan found that 63 of the 90 conflict of interest violations were related to the two COVID-19 relief payments the organization received. She said those payments also violated the government contribution agreement, which does not allow blanket payments and instead “requires that each individual contract and payment be looked at on a merit basis and awarded to a specific project.”
Disagreement Over When to Meet
During the Industry and Technology Committee meeting, Liberal MP Pam Damoff said there was no disagreement within the parties that Verschuren had behaved improperly. “This was someone who had a history going back to the Harper years of being appointed to boards and advisory committees, and I pointed out to her that even if she got advice to the contrary, she should have known better and should have recused herself,” she said.Much of the meeting was spent debating a sub-amendment to the main motion, which called for the ethics commissioner to testify as soon as Parliament returns in September instead of within a month.
Conservative MP Michael Cooper said that given the importance of the ethics commissioner’s report, there was “no reason” why the committee should wait nearly two months to hear from him. He also said that the auditor general had identified 20 additional conflicts, valued at nearly $2.6 million, where Verschuren voted in favour of motions that resulted in money being given to companies she had a stake in.
“It underscores why we need to hear from Ms. Verschuren sooner rather than later. She needs to come before committee and she needs to address these 20 additional conflicts, and then based upon her testimony, additional steps can be taken, including referring the matter to the ethics commissioner to undertake a further investigation,” he said.
NDP MP Brian Masse said Conservatives on the committee had filibustered on various issues during the last sitting of Parliament, which had delayed the committee from discussing the SDTC. He also said that even if the committee met within a month to discuss the issue, there is “very little that we can do until the House resumes.”
Conservative MP Larry Brock said the SDTC scandal went to the “core of good governance” and argued that MPs on the committee could investigate it before Parliament resumes. “We can walk and chew gum at the same time. We can fulfill our obligations on this committee to ensure that taxpayers are receiving good value for their money,” he said.
The sub-amendment for the committee to meet when Parliament resumes in September ultimately passed despite the Conservatives voting “no,” and the subsequent amendment passed unanimously.
