Major Projects Office

Question period focused on the Major Projects Office, specifically staff seconded from private companies who work in the office and are paid by those companies. The Conservatives asked how many such staff are paid by companies whose projects the office reviews, asked the minister to name those companies, release the rules, and say how many staff have stepped aside over conflicts, arguing that conflicts are reviewed internally without independent ethics oversight. The Liberals replied that the seconded employees come from sectors including transportation, financial services, and agriculture, that such exchanges have been standard practice for over 50 years involving governments, businesses, and non-profits, and said the office is creating thousands of jobs on projects across the country.Written by AI from the debate. Updated .

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4 statements

Shannon Stubbs, Lakeland

Conservative
“Companies pay staff who work in the government's Major Projects Office. These staff help make decisions worth billions of dollars. The minister will not say where they come from. I want to know how many staff are paid by companies whose projects the office reviews, and I want the minister to name those companies.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, after 11 years of Liberals, there are two worlds: one where Canadians follow the rules and count every dollar but cannot get ahead, and another where political and business insiders get a seat at the big table and make up their own rules. Companies pay staff in the Liberal Major Projects Office, which makes decisions worth billions of private and public dollars. I questioned it six months ago and last night, but the minister will not even say which sectors the staff are from. So much for accountability and transparency for taxpayers. How many MPO staff are paid by companies whose projects the office reviews, and will the minister name the companies?

Dominic LeBlanc, President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade, Intergovernmental Affairs, Internal Trade, and One Canadian Economy

Liberal
“I already told the member which sectors these workers come from. They are transportation, financial services, and agriculture. Swapping workers like this has been normal practice for over 50 years. It involves other levels of government, private businesses, and non-profits.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, I had the opportunity to have this conversation with our colleague on the other side last evening at the building Canada committee. She just asserted that we did not talk about which sectors these interchange employees come from. Last night I said, and I am happy to repeat it again, the transportation sector, financial services sectors and agriculture sectors. Many of these interchange positions, something that has existed in government for well over 50 years, include other orders of government, and they also allow public servants to work in the private sector and for non-profit organizations as well.

Shannon Stubbs, Lakeland

Conservative
“Private companies help pay staff in the Major Projects Office, but the government checks for conflicts of interest on its own without independent oversight. The minister should release the rules, name the companies, and say how many staff have stepped aside because of conflicts.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, last night the minister actually called disclosure a “gotcha moment“ when accountability is literally his job. Companies help pay staff inside the Major Projects Office, but conflicts are reviewed internally without independent ethics oversight. The Liberals want Canadians to trust the safeguards but hide how and to whom those safeguards apply. The minister should release the rules, name the companies and say how many staff have been recused. If the safeguards are so strong, why is the secrecy even stronger, and what does the minister have to hide?

Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources

Liberal

Linked statement

“The Major Projects Office is creating thousands of jobs across the country. Conservatives should help us build jobs instead of pushing conspiracies and attacking the office.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, while the Conservatives want to think about conspiracy, what we do at the MPO is create jobs, like the 5,000 new jobs at Churchill Falls, the 8,000 new jobs at Contrecoeur, the 1,000 new jobs at Nouveau Monde Graphite, the 5,000 new jobs at LNG Canada and the 7,000 new jobs at Ksi Lisims. Instead of talking down the MPO, why do they not help us build jobs?

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