The parliamentary inquiry into relations between the federal government and the consulting firm McKinsey & Company began on Wednesday with the already expressed objective of inviting federal ministers and members of the multinational’s senior management to testify. .
The former boss of McKinsey in Canada, Dominic Barton, will most likely be among the guests. He knows the company like the back of his hand since he spent more than thirty years there.
Mr. Barton, whom other party leaders in Ottawa claim to be close to Justin Trudeau, is now president of the gigantic mining multinational Rio Tinto.
The leader was appointed Canada’s ambassador to China in 2019. He was selected largely to try to settle the issue of the two Michaels, who were finally released in 2021 while still Canada’s representative in China. .
The Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates does not have the power that a commissioner would have in the context of a public inquiry to compel testimony from anyone.
For their study, the parliamentarians decided to go back to 2011, the year when Stephen Harper’s Conservatives began their majority government.
Since Justin Trudeau took office in 2015, the federal government has spent no less than $101 million in consulting fees from McKinsey & Company, divided into 23 contracts.
The number raised eyebrows on everyone, even Justin Trudeau. The latter repeated Wednesday that he had asked two of his ministers to “follow up” on these contracts.
These were awarded by civil servants, the Prime Minister claimed, and “most of these contracts were selected by open competition”.
“I also welcome very positively the work that the government committee will begin today to ensure that Canadians have indeed received value for their investments,” he said on the sidelines of the meeting. a press briefing in Shawinigan.