The controversial management consulting firm McKinsey and Company saw a thirty-fold increase in funding from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government when compared to his predecessor, Stephen Harper.
Data from Public Services and Procurement Canada shows that McKinsey received $66,159,866 from the Liberals between 2015 and 2022.
On the other hand, the Harper government gave the company a total of $2,236,015 while in office from 2006 to 2015.
McKinsey has received flack in recent years over their involvement in consulting on Covid-19 pandemic policies, as well as financing China’s expansion in the South China Sea via the construction of artificial islands.
A large portion of McKinsey’s work was billed by two departments, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and the Canadian Border Services Agency – making up 44% or $24.5 million of all contracts.
Contracts being given to McKinsey have grown steadily over the years without a sign of slowing down. In 2016, $1.7 million worth of funding was awarded to the firm, by 2022 that number had grown to $32.5 million.
According to Radio-Canada, the company refused to answer questions about the kind of work it conducted for the Canadian government. Contract titles included work to “develop and implement transformation strategies.”
The scale of McKinsey’s influence is only being unveiled now after the federal government announced its ambitious plan to let in 500,000 new immigrants into Canada by 2025.
Professor at the National School of Public Service Isabelle Fortier told Radio-Canada that the company essentially serves as a “shadow government.”
“It is a shadow government, but which acts everywhere, without any legitimacy and without any critical perspective, without any transparency,” said Fortier.
On Twitter, leader of the Conservative Party of Qeebec Eric Duhaime called for an immediate investigation into McKinsey’s influence.
“It will definitely take a public and independent investigation into the role of the McKinsey firm. They receive tens of millions of dollars in untendered contracts, both from the Legault and Trudeau governments,” said Duhaime in French.
