FORSETH: Green not so clean? Kickback charges levelled in BC carbon scheme

Has BC's NDP plan to encourage the development of commercial electric vehicles been caught in a nasty little kickback scheme? It's too early to say for sure but opposition MLAs are now asking questions in the legislature, after allegations surfaced that applicants for a grant under the CleanBC program would first be declined, then invited to reapply with the 'assistance' — for a 20 percent fee — of the very people administering the grant on the government's behalf.That would be nice work, if you could get it...MNP LLP, the agency contracted to administer the government program for grant applications for “green vehicles” is said to first deny applications, then set up meetings to offer the failed candidates a chance to re-write their technical grant applications. The company promises the revised second-time application will be successful, but only if they are paid a 20% fee of the awarded grant. MNP denies the allegations, of course, see below.However, appearances certainly merit the attention of BC's opposition. The helpers that proposed the rejected applicant to re-submit a new application for a fee, are the same organization that in the end decided who would qualify for the grants. If one was running a shakedown extortion and kickback scheme, that's how you would do it.MNP is paid by the B.C. government to administer two CleanBC grant programs — the advanced research and commercialization program and the commercial vehicle innovation challenge.But opposition concern has been brewing for a while. Finally, after a month of questions by opposition MLAs, as well as the government voting down an Opposition motion asking the BC Auditor General to investigate, the Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation, Josie Osborne, initiated an investigation into MNP's administration of two grant programs funded through the British Columbia Carbon Tax.The evidence is that one of MNP's teams working in the province of BC acted in the capacity of both the administrator and grant application consultant on the CleanBC grant program. Previously, the Government of BC twice declined to investigate MNP, and only decided to re-engage the investigation upon Edison Motors' documented story that MNP had offered grant-writing services for programs it administered, in return for a 20% success fee. Edison Motors tells their story here.Typically, when a scandal is about, the response by the government is to stay mostly silent and deflect questions and minimize, just like the NDP did in this case. Then when the heat comes on, those directly involved simply deny everything about the situation. Often delay is used, so the paper trail can be hidden or destroyed, and plausible deniability stories are invented to cover up. When later questioned, those involved suddenly develop very poor memories of events and people, and documents disappear. In response to the investigation, the MNP organization stated, "These allegations are false and misleading.” This Calgary-based firm has 129 offices across Canada, and was founded in Brandon Manitoba in 1958. It advertises its services as, Assurance, Financial advisory, Forensic accounting, Management consulting, Risk advisory, and Tax services. It has 8,163 employees (2023)MNP is in full denial in "corporate speak" with the following."April 8, 2024, CALGARY, AB – Due to privacy and legal requirements, MNP cannot comment on specific applications to grant programs we administer in British Columbia or elsewhere. We are aware of an allegation that one of our teams working in the province of B.C. in our grant management service line acted in the capacity as both the administrator and grant application consultant on the CleanBC grant program. These allegations are false and misleading.Many firms provide grant administration and grant writing services to assist clients. Professional services firms that provide these services, including MNP, have policies and procedures to address potential conflicts of interest.MNP’s policies and procedures prohibit team members from providing grant writing services for the programs we administer. Our program administration work on behalf of CleanBC is no different. MNP is committed to full transparency and accountability for every public program we administer, and we welcome a government-initiated program review.With respect to grant application services, small and medium businesses that do not have the internal resources to complete these applications often engage a third party to assist them with their application. Professional services firms, including MNP, can assist clients in their pursuit of federal, provincial, and other grant programs when requested for programs where these firms are not the administrator.MNP has a strong track record of delivering professional services to governments and businesses across Canada for more than 65 years. We are a proud Canadian firm and a champion of our core clientele: small- and medium-sized enterprises."At a time when British Columbians are struggling to afford rising carbon taxes, the government must give an account of why carbon tax kickbacks are apparently flowing to NDP-appointed consultants. Only when the NDP saw the scandal blowing up on TikTok did they acquiesce to Opposition MLAs' demands, and ask the Auditor General to investigate. This entire situation reeks of a conflict of interest at best, and outright corruption at worst. There always should be a complete separation of a grant administrator from those who help grant applicants. This one's not going away. Stay tuned.

FORSETH: Green not so clean? Kickback charges levelled in BC carbon scheme

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