Ottawa pledges ‘full due diligence’ after audit of Ontario skills fund

Ottawa says it will “undertake full due diligence” and seek unspecified “mitigation measures” to ensure the approximately $1-billion a year it sends to Ontario for training programs is used effectively, after an audit said the Ford government’s Skills Development Fund was not fair, transparent or accountable.

In a statement on Monday, the office of Patty Hajdu, the federal Minister of Jobs and Families, said Employment and Social Development Canada was reviewing a report from the provincial Auditor-General released last week. The audit examined the $1.3-billion that Ontario has handed out since 2021 from its heavily promoted Skills Development Fund to companies, unions and non-profits.