The former CEO of the federal green fund recently stated that then-Industry Minister Navdeep Bains appointed a board chairperson despite knowing that her company was being supported by the fund. Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC), an arms-length federal foundation focusing on green technologies, has been mired in controversy with accusations of corruption being leveled against it by whistleblowers.
Leah Lawrence, who resigned as president and CEO of the fund, accused the government of ignoring her warnings about the conflict of interest involving Annette Verschuren. In a testimony before the House of Commons industry committee, she claimed that there was a sustained and malicious campaign to undermine her leadership.
Ms. Lawrence expressed concerns about SDTC funding a project for Ms. Verschuren’s company, potential conflicts of interest, and the damage to Ms. Verschuren and SDTC due to her appointment as the new chair. Ms. Verschuren, a former Home Depot CEO, resigned from SDTC in December and is currently facing an ethics probe for her actions.
There is also an ongoing investigation by the Ethics Commissioner into allegations that a board director directed SDTC funds for his benefit. Additionally, the Auditor General is conducting an investigation into SDTC. The government has been aware of the allegations since early last year and commissioned a third-party fact-finding review. In October, Ottawa announced a freeze on the funding of new projects by SDTC.