After receiving two million dollars from the Ministry of Employment and Social Solidarity (MESS) since 2018, two alleged Chinese police stations under investigation by the RCMP are expected to lose this financial support this summer, learned The duty.
Annual agreements concluded with the Chinese Family Service of Greater Montreal (SFCGM) and with the Sino-Quebec Center of the South Shore (CSQRS) will not be renewed, announced the MESS. Most of the money, nearly $1.8 million, was granted to the SFCGM to provide employability services to newcomers to the country less than five years ago, to immigrants, as well as to members of visible minorities.
“Given the seriousness of the allegations that have come to light in the context of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police investigation, talks for the renewal of the agreement which expires on June 30, 2023 have not been initiated, since ‘there are no plans to renew this agreement,’ said spokeswoman Catherine Poulin.
The MESS nonetheless notes that “the partnership relationship” with the SFCGM has been good in recent years and that the services provided under the agreement were in compliance. “The organization has achieved 100% of the target of new participants provided for in the agreement, and this, for the past five years,” said the spokesperson.
Last week, the MESS did not renew funding paid to the CSQRS under its wage subsidy program, which has enabled the organization to receive $96,886.59 for five years. “The current wage subsidy agreement ends March 31 and will not be renewed. The Center Sino-Québec de la Rive-Sud is notified,” said Ms.me Poulin Thursday
As for the sums paid to the SFCGM within the framework of 11 wage subsidies, which total $144,463.88 since 2018-2019, the MESS was not able, on Monday, to answer precisely.
A request for an interview, made to the director general of the two organizations, Xixi Li, remained unanswered. A CSQRS administrator, Bernard Ouellet, told the Duty that he had not been informed of the situation with the MESS.
From the Department of Immigration to that of Employment
The first questions about funding for the two organizations were posed to the MESS on March 13, days after the RCMP confirmed that they were targeted due to allegations of foreign interference.
Last fall, the police force launched an investigation after receiving reports that China had set up clandestine police stations and harassed Chinese expatriates in Canada. The duty then revealed in mid-March that the Department of Immigration stopped funding the operations of the two agencies after it found deficiencies two years ago in an audit of their management, governance and their accountability processes.
According to the Department of Immigration, the departments and agencies concerned, including the MESS, were notified of the termination of the agreement in 2021. Its audit report, however, remained confidential and was not shared.
Mme Poulin indicated that the MESS had not been informed of the reasons for this termination. “The Department of Immigration has notified the Department of Employment and Social Solidarity of the termination of one agreement only,” said the spokesperson to the Duty.
The MESS indicated that its financial support to the SFCGM, which continued, was based on an accountability process and spot checks. “No shortcoming in terms of governance, sound management or accountability has been noted in the past, so no corrective action has been requested from the organization,” said Ms.me Poulin.
From 2018 to 2020, the SFCGM received $364,320 each year to provide employability assistance services. This sum has been increased to $394,262 in 2021. Since last July, $283,590 has been donated to the SFCGM, and the total this year is expected to reach $378,120.
For the wage subsidy component, from which the SFCGM and the CSQRS both benefited, organizations or companies must provide pay slips to support their requests. “If the person receiving a wage subsidy complains or informs the agent responsible for the agreement of possible embezzlement, then the department checks against these allegations. No such situation has been brought to our attention,” said Ms.me Poulin.
Funding maintained
In addition, after “complex analyses”, the CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal has opted for the status quo regarding its partnership with the SFCGM, said a spokesperson. Since 2019, the government health sector body has awarded just over half a million dollars to the SFCGM, including $133,870 last year.
“We have decided to continue our financial support of the organization,” said Danny Raymond.
According to the CIUSSS, this funding is used to promote the implementation of “inclusive community actions”, such as linguistic integration, assistance for the elderly and legal information services.