It is to “validate” the choice of sectors of activity to prioritize to increase the wealth of Quebecers that the government has paid nearly $ 5 million to the firm McKinsey & Company, explained Tuesday Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon.
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“We had determined, with the team of the Ministry, sectors. We wanted to validate, with McKinsey, that our claims were justified, ”said Mr. Fitzgibbon in the parliamentary committee.
Two of the sectors selected, those of quantum technologies and intelligent electronic systems, were entitled to “zones of innovation”. Another is the battery sector, concentrated in Bécancour, in the Centre-du-Québec region.
After receiving McKinsey’s report, “there were adjustments in terms of assessing opportunities,” said Pierre Fitzgibbon. […] But in general, the choice of sectors has been reconfirmed”.
Mr. Fitzgibbon assured that he absolutely had the services of an external firm to evaluate the efforts of his ministry in the matter. McKinsey notably examined similar initiatives in Israel, Singapore and Korea.
“I think it was prudent for the Government of Quebec to take advantage of external resources,” he said. […] To think that we can do everything internally is a very narrow vision.
However, the Minister acknowledged that several mandates are now granted to external consultants. “The internal/external proportion, one can question,” he said.
Value difficult to establish
“All these reports have a value, insisted Pierre Fitzgibbon. It’s hard to attribute… Is it worth $1 million, is it worth $300,000? It is a judgment that is very difficult to make.
For his tenure, McKinsey was awarded a private contract by the Ministry of the Economy in the summer of 2021 after losing a tender for another study to accounting firm KPMG earlier in the year. Radio-Canada revealed on Tuesday. “These are two mandates that [étaient] completely different,” Mr. Fitzgibbon argued.
The work carried out by KPMG focused on reviving sectors such as forestry and on issues such as buying local, the minister said.
He refused to commit to making public the documents produced by McKinsey and KPMG, which the three opposition parties denounced on Tuesday.