By
      Chris
      Bodnar
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Source:
      Ottawa
     
     
      Bureau
      Chief
     
    
   
   
    
     
      OTTAWA
      (CUP)
      -
     
    

    
     
      The
      blow-up
      over
     
     
      federal
      government
     
     
      mismanagement
      of
      grant
     
     
      money
      has
      ripped
      through
     
     
      some
      universities,
      leaving
     
     
      flustered
      administrators
     
     
      asking
      what's
      going
      on.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      On
      Monday,
      Human.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Resources
      Development
     
     
      Canada
      (HRDC)
      released
     
     
      a
      summary
      report
      on
     
     
      459
      job
      creation
      projects
     
     
      that
      received
      federal
     
     
      money.
      Numerous
     
     
      educational
      institutions
     
     
      across
      the
      country
      who
     
     
      received
      federal
      funding
     
     
      were
      fingered
      by
      auditors
     
     
      as
      requiring
      "further
     
     
      review."
     
    

    
     
      The
      grant
      information
      was
     
    

    
     
      released
      two
      weeks
      after
     
    

    
     
      federal
      HRDC
      Minister
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Jane
      Stewartannounced
      —
     
    
   
   
    
     
      that
      an
      audit
      of
      her
     
    
   
   
    
     
      department
      revealed
      over
     
     
      $1-billion
      in
      grants
      that
      were
     
     
      notproperly
      accounted
      for.
     
     
      This
      equated
      to
      over
      30,000
     
     
      individual
      projects.
     
    

    
     
      The
      summary
      report,
     
     
      which
      randomly
      sampled
     
     
      459
      of
      the
      30,000
      projects,
     
     
      flagged
      37
      projects
      for
     
     
      irregularities.
      Nine
      of
      the
     
     
      projects
      were
      to
      education
     
     
      and
      literacy
      institutions
      for
     
     
      grantstotalling
     
     
      almost
      $900,000.
     
    

    
     
      Those
      singled
      out
      in
     
     
      the
      audit
      aren't
      pleased
      with
     
     
      the
      way
      they
      have
      been
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘portrayed.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "It
      doesn't
      seem
      to
      me
      that
     
     
      they've
      kept
      very
      good
     
     
      records
      of
      the
      project,"
      said
     
     
      Kate
      Williams,
      the
      director
      of
     
     
      McGill
      University's
      relations
     
     
      department.
      "They
      audited
     
     
      last
      spring
      and
      we
      were
      told
     
     
      everything
      was
      fine."
     
     
      McGill's
      grants
      were
     
     
      pointed
      out
      by
      the
      auditors
     
     
      for
      not
      having
      submitted
     
    
   
   
    
     
      proper
      evidence
      for
      almost
     
     
      $60,000
      of
      its
      grant
     
     
      reimbursements.
      The
      grant
      was
     
     
      for
      a
      Canadian
      and
      European
     
     
      exchange
      program
      in
      chemistry.
     
     
      The
      only
      other
      external
      sponsor
     
     
      of
      the
      program
      is
      the
      European
     
     
      Union.
     
    

    
     
      The
      grant
      also
      became
     
     
      the
      focus
      of
      criticism
      after
      the
     
     
      auditors
      revealed
      that
      McGill
     
     
      had
      only
      requested
      $60,000
      for
     
     
      its
      project,
      but
      was
      given
     
     
      $160,000.
     
    

    
     
      But
      Williams
      says
      the
     
     
      University
      has
      given
      complete
     
     
      backup
      for
      all
      expenses
      and
     
     
      they
      were
      given
     
     
      more
      money
      in
      order
      to
      expand
     
     
      their
      program.
     
    

    
     
      "Get
      a
      life!
      I
      mean,
      we
     
     
      submitted
      a
      proposal
      and
      they
     
     
      came
      back
      and
      said
      we
      could
     
     
      expand
      it,"
      said
      Williams.
      "We
     
     
      would
      be
      crazy
      not
      to
      accept
     
     
      the
      additional
      amount."
     
    

    
     
      Other
      educational
     
     
      institutions
      singled
      out
      by
      the
     
     
      auditors
      for
      further
     
     
      investigation:
      the
      Ecole
     
     
      Polytechnique
      in
      Montreal,
      the
     
     
      University
      of
      Toronto
      and
     
     
      Simon
      Fraser
      University
      for
      a
     
     
      joint
      European
      partnership
      for
     
     
      technology
      management,
      and
     
     
      the
      University
      of
      Prince
     
     
      Edward
      Island,
     
     
      Mount
      Allison
      University
      and
     
     
      Memorial
      University
      of
     
     
      Newfoundland
      for
      a
      Canada-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Europe
      exchange
      program.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Jayne
      Yeo,
      a
     
     
      representative
      from
      the
     
     
      University
      of
      Prince
     
     
      Edward
      Island,
     
     
      confirmed
      the
      school's
     
     
      program
      is
      being
      audited
     
     
      by
      government
      officials.
     
     
      She
      says
      not
      all
      receipts
     
     
      and
      documentation
      have
     
     
      been
      submitted
      yet
     
     
      because
      some
      students
     
     
      were
      travelling
      as
      part
      of
     
     
      the
      exchange
      program,
     
     
      making
      it
      impossible
      to
     
     
      gather
      all
      information
     
     
      immediately.
     
     
      Meanwhile,
      tempers
     
     
      were
      hot
      inside
      the
     
     
      House
      of
      Commons
      on
     
     
      Monday
      as_
      the
     
     
      opposition
      grilled
     
     
      the
      government
      for
      the
     
     
      mismanagement.
     
    

    
     
      "Canadian
     
     
      taxpayers
      pay
      the
      highest
     
     
      personal
      income
      taxes
      in
     
     
      the
      western
      world,"
      said
     
     
      Reform
      Party
      Leader
     
     
      Preston
      Manning.
      "No
     
     
      wonder
      that
      they
      are
     
     
      angry
      therefore
      when
     
     
      they
      find
      out
      that
      more
     
     
      than
      a
      billion
      of
      those
     
     
      hard
      earned
      taxpayer
     
    
   
   
    
     
      dollars
      have
      been.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      grossly
      mismanaged
      by
     
     
      the
      Minister
      of
      Human
     
     
      R.es
      o-ugrcess
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Development."
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Numerous
     
    
   
   
    
     
      opposition
      members
     
     
      demanded
      that
      Stewart
     
     
      resign.
      But
      the
      minister
     
     
      remained
      adamant
      that
     
     
      there
      are
      no
      significant
     
    
   
   
    
     
      problems
      with
      her
     
     
      department.
     
    

    
     
      "I
      would
      like
      to
      tell
      you
      that
     
     
      everything
      is
      run
      perfectly
     
     
      in
      my
      department,"
      said
     
     
      Stewart.
      "That
      is
      why
      I
      am
     
     
      working
      with
      the
     
     
      department
      to
      implement
      a
     
     
      significantly
      strengthened
     
     
      regime
      that
      will
      ensure
      we
     
     
      manage
      the
      grants
      and
     
     
      contributions
      in
      my
     
     
      department
      effectively."
     
     
      Earlier
      in
      the
      day,
      HRDC
     
     
      bureaucrats
      released
      a
      six-
     
     
      point
      plan
      explaining
      how
      a
     
     
      check-and-balance
      system
     
     
      would
      be
      implemented
      in
     
     
      order
      to
      keep
      better
      track
     
    
   
   
    
     
      of
      department
     
     
      spending.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Government
      auditors
      are
     
     
      expected
      to
      continue
     
     
      review
      of
      the
      37
      flagged
     
     
      programs
      over
      the
      next
     
     
      few
      months.
      There
      was
      no
     
     
      indication
      whether
      any
      of
     
     
      the
      remaining
      29,500
     
     
      projects
      would
      by
      :
     
     
      inspected.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -With
      files
      from
     
     
      Sarah
      Murphy,
     
     
      The
      Cadre
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘Picasso’s
      theory
      that
      “Bad
      artists
      copy,’
      great
      aftists’stéal:”
      Bat
      you
      know;
      I
      never
      stole
      froti
      anyone
      anyone
      would-havé
      heard
      of
      before
      this
      but
      now
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ~
     
    
   
   
    
     
      AQxizn
      Zsa
      SP
      ws
      SS
      i
      eo