Former Assistant Deputy Minister denies responsibility in Green Slush Fund scandal
Conservative MP Rick Perkins accused Andrew Noseworthy of negligence and questioned whether he was covering up for others.
Andrew Noseworthy, a former assistant deputy minister earning $200,000 annually, testified before the Commons public accounts committee, claiming ignorance of widespread conflicts of interest at Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC), a federal agency disbanded earlier this year after a damning audit.
Noseworthy, who attended all board meetings, said he did not report conflicts because he was "not a lawyer."
82% of the money dished out by the Green Slush Fund was conflicted. Rules said no STDC board members could enrich themselves with STDC funds. Yet, they did.
— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) November 27, 2024
This bureaucrat serving as the eyes and ears of the deputy minister in charge says he saw nothing wrong? pic.twitter.com/IvnnrauQaC
SDTC, which managed $856 million in corporate subsidies, faced intense scrutiny after an Auditor General’s report revealed 186 conflicts of interest involving its directors. The fallout led to the resignation of the CEO, board chair, and all directors.
“I truly saw my role as a liaison,” Noseworthy told MPs. “What I saw in front of me at Sustainable Development Technology Canada was a regularly functioning board.”
Conservative MP Rick Perkins (South Shore-St. Margarets, N.S.) confronted Noseworthy with the SDTC Act, which explicitly prohibits directors from profiting from the organization. “Since you read the Act and since you saw them voting for each others’ companies, did you ever raise that?” asked Perkins.
The so-called "eyes and ears" of the deputy minister -who claims he didn't see anything untoward happening at board meetings of the Green Slush Fund where board members gave their own businesses taxpayer cash - took home a performance bonus for his good work.
— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) November 28, 2024
...or for turning… pic.twitter.com/7Gw9Q6qqZ4
Noseworthy responded, “I had no way of independently assessing conflicts of interest by the board… I am not a lawyer.” Perkins shot back, “It’s not very complicated: ‘No director shall profit or gain any income or acquire any property.’ You don’t have to be a lawyer to figure that out.”
CPC's Larry Brock slams the bureaucrat who was the eyes and ears of oversight for the Green Slush Fund (and didn't see anything wrong with board members voting themselves your money).
— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) November 28, 2024
Brock: Do you have a problem with your memory generally or just specifically when you're asked… pic.twitter.com/qRf3Diam5y
Perkins accused Noseworthy of negligence and questioned whether he was covering up for others. “I just don’t believe you never told them these things were going on,” said Perkins. “Who are you covering up for?” Noseworthy declined to comment.
Sheila Gunn Reid
Chief Reporter
Sheila Gunn Reid is the Alberta Bureau Chief for Rebel News and host of the weekly The Gunn Show with Sheila Gunn Reid. She's a mother of three, conservative activist, and the author of best-selling books including Stop Notley.
