Former Industry Minister Navdeep Bains defended his role in appointing board members to Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) but denied responsibility for any misconduct at the agency, which faced scrutiny for 186 conflicts of interest before being disbanded earlier this year. Speaking before the Commons public accounts committee, Blacklock's Reporter said Bains emphasized that his role was limited to appointing seven of the agency’s 15 directors.“My responsibility was to appoint seven of the 15 board members,” said Bains, now an executive with Rogers Communications. Responding to questions from MPs, Bains repeatedly said he “could not recall” specific developments leading to SDTC’s June 4 dissolution by cabinet, following a critical audit by the Auditor General. The report highlighted extensive conflicts of interest within SDTC’s board, which awarded $856 million in subsidies.Conservative MP Larry Brock pressed Bains on whether he accepted any responsibility. “Do you take any ministerial responsibility?” Brock asked. Bains replied, “It’s important that ministers act in the best interests of Canadians and conduct themselves accordingly,” but stopped short of accepting personal responsibility. When MP Brock persisted, saying, “You take no responsibility,” Bains did not dispute the statement.The Auditor General’s report, which uncovered subsidies awarded to board members’ friends, associates, and business partners, detailed concerns over inside dealings and noted whistleblower complaints. Bloc Québécois MP Natalie Sinclair-Desgagné questioned Bains’ awareness, asking, “What were you aware of? Did you manage anything whatsoever in your role as Minister?” Bains maintained, “This is an arms-length organization, and my responsibility was to appoint seven of the 15 board members.”Liberal MPs defended Bains, with MP Francis Drouin asserting that Bains could not be expected to manage SDTC’s day-to-day operations. “The Opposition is trying to paint a picture where you were personally involved in the minutiae of Sustainable Development Technology Canada,” said Drouin. Bains agreed, stating that it was not a minister’s responsibility to oversee conflict-of-interest issues at arm’s-length agencies.When asked by Liberal MP Iqra Khalid if he had any regrets, Bains expressed disappointment in the agency’s mismanagement, noting, “It is deeply, deeply disappointing to see a number of companies may not receive funds at the appropriate time to scale and grow due to a number of issues.”Conservative MP Michael Cooper voiced frustration with Bains’ lack of recall, stating, “You don’t recall this, you don’t recall that. Your amnesia is unacceptable.” Bains mentioned a total of 16 times that he “could not recall,” “did not know,” or “did not receive” relevant details about SDTC’s operations during his tenure.
