Sheryl Urie, Vice President of Finance at Sustainable Development Technology Canada, testified before the Commons public accounts committee Thursday, defending the agency's work despite criticism over conflicts of interest and sweetheart subsidies. Urie described the public criticism of the agency as hurtful and emphasized that the agency's work benefited all Canadians, beyond the 186 conflicts of interest identified by the Auditor General.Cabinet on June 4 collapsed the agency and transferred all its work to the National Research Council. The abrupt transfer came hours after auditors disclosed that directors’ friends and family benefited from $319 million in conflicted cash awards.Urie acknowledged the challenges the agency faced but maintained that it was a success story, despite numerous cases of self-dealing.She expressed disappointment over the "green slush fund" label used by Conservatives, stating that it impacted the credibility of the organization and its employees.Liberal MP Iqra Khalid questioned how the agency's credibility was affected by such messaging, while Conservative MP Eric Duncan expressed disbelief at Urie's tone, given the Auditor General's report highlighting corruption and conflict of interest. Auditor General Karen Hogan emphasized the importance of ethical practices and the fundamental rule that public funds should not personally benefit individuals.Conservative MP Rick Perkins described the agency as corrupt, citing almost half of all transactions from 2017 to 2023 as conflicted. Urie maintained that the agency's work contributed to environmental benefits and job creation across the country.
