The Ford government says it has forwarded a forensic audit of a company that received tens of millions of dollars in funding from the province, including through the controversial skills development fund, to provincial police after a probe of payments uncovered “irregularities.”
A spokesperson for the premier’s office confirmed a “routine audit” of government money sent to Get A-Head, a business owned by Keel Digital Solutions, had raised red flags, which had triggered a further investigation.
“The results of the audit, received last week, recommended that the matter be referred to the Ontario Provincial Police,” they wrote.
“Within 24 hours of receiving this report, the referral was made. All payments associated with this provider are currently under review, and further actions will be taken based on that outcome.”
Keel Digital Solutions said its contracts with the Ministry of Colleges and Universities, which administered its funding, were renewed “several times.”
“We cooperated fully and transparently with the Province’s forensic audit, supplying all requested documentation, including incorporation records and financial statements,” they wrote in a statement.
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“We have serious concerns about the process, which showed persistent misunderstandings of corporate vs. not-for-profit structures and misinterpretation of tax rules (e.g., input tax credits and relevant federal programs). Throughout the review, we were repeatedly told no irregularities or ‘red flags’ had been identified.”
Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security Nolan Quinn said it was common practice to audit its vendors.
“We consistently do audits of all external service providers, but I think the biggest thing to take away is once we heard the results of the forensic audit, we automatically and swiftly acted,” he said.
The OPP acknowledged a request for comment from Global News but did not answer questions ahead of publication.
According to The Trillium, which first reported the story, Keel Digital Solutions has received at least $36.9 million from various ministries since 2021, including from the skills development fund.
Keel’s funding through that pot of money came under scrutiny after it was reported Labour Minister David Piccini attended the wedding of a lobbyist it had hired. Years earlier, he also watched a Toronto Maple Leafs game with a director of the company.
For weeks, the government has been defending its skills development fund, after the auditor general determined the way it was administered was “not fair, transparent or accountable.”
The same investigation from the auditor general also found that the majority of applications selected were ranked low or medium by the Ministry of Labour and that more than 60 of the lower-scoring applicants were approved after hiring a lobbyist.
Elsewhere, companies where directors donated to the Progressive Conservative party received funding from the skills development fund, as did a company implicated in a major palliative care supplies shortage.
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