Conservative MP John Brassard dropped jaws in Parliament when he revealed a story Ottawa would rather bury about the Prime Minister’s new Major Projects Office (MPO) — a sprawling federal initiative meant to fast-track nation-building infrastructure. What he described wasn’t just bureaucratic reshuffling, but a system where private corporations could embed their own staff inside a federal office with influence over the very projects they want approved — while those companies pay the salaries and bonuses.
That’s not oversight. That’s the inside track, and Brassard didn’t hold back: “How is this ethical?” he asked at the end of his speech, after laying out the arrangement facing banks, energy, and mining companies.
What the MPO Really Is
The MPO was announced by the Prime Minister as a new federal engine to coordinate and accelerate the review and approval of major infrastructure projects — everything from energy terminals to high-speed rail. It operates under federal authority and aims to deliver a single window for proponents, regulators, Indigenous partners, and investors to get projects “shovel ready.”
Officially, the office is about streamlining red tape and pulling together financing needed to get big projects built faster. It’s headquartered in Calgary and led by an experienced energy-sector executive.
Corporate Ties: Practical or Problematic?
Here’s where Brassard’s remarks pierce through the spin: the MPO isn’t just a coordination shop — it’s actively working with private sector capital investors. The government says it will help structure and coordinate financing from banks, investors, and major corporate partners to reduce risk and attract capital.
Observers in Ottawa’s policy circles note that the office has been recruiting heavily from the private sector, including interest in secondments from Bay Street and major energy and mining firms. That is exactly the concern Brassard aired: corporate employees on the inside of a federal decision-making office, paid by their firms, with access to project pathways before others ever see them.
Is It a Funding Vehicle More Than a Regulatory Fix?
There is a growing view in the policy community that the MPO has shifted toward coordinating government support and financial structuring for private sector projects rather than simply cutting regulatory delays. Some experts argue that many of the projects entering the MPO pipeline already have regulatory approval; what they lack is access to capital, guarantees, and government-backed financing arrangements.
That raises the fundamental concern: if private companies are helping shape the very funding pathways they stand to benefit from, where do public interests fit into the equation?
Brassard’s Core Question
On the floor of the House, Brassard outlined a scenario where banks, energy firms, mining companies, and even large investment houses could send their own employees into the MPO — giving those firms the inside track and privileged advice on the very projects they want advanced, while those companies continue to pay salaries and bonuses.
Then came the hammer:
“How is this ethical?”
Anyone watching could feel the temperature drop. Private firms influencing public decisions from the inside — funded by private dollars, not accountable to public oversight.
Why It Matters
This isn’t a niche office. The MPO is positioned to influence billions in national infrastructure — energy projects, mining operations, transportation corridors, utilities, and more. The government frames it as a jobs engine and a modernization tool. Critics warn it blurs the line between public authority and private interest.
Brassard’s intervention forces Canadians to ask the obvious question:
Should a federal office ever become a corporate workspace — with bonuses attached?
That’s the debate the country is now staring straight in the face.
Watch on YouTube:
Brassard Warns of Corporate Employees Working Inside the PM’s MPO
Sources & Reference Material
- Debates (Hansard) No. 72 – Question Period on the Major Projects Office (includes John Brassard’s “How is this ethical?” exchange) — House of Commons of Canada
- Major Projects Office – Building big projects that will transform and connect Canada’s economy — Government of Canada (Canada.ca)
- Major Projects Office: Second tranche of projects under consideration (backgrounder on MPO mandate and role) — One Canadian Economy – Government of Canada
- 2025 Federal budget includes investment in infrastructure, mining and energy (MPO as single point of contact; Budget 2025 funding) — MLT Aikins LLP
- Streamlining Canadian Infrastructure Growth Through the Major Projects Office (mandate, Calgary HQ, financing coordination role) — Stikeman Elliott LLP
