SNC-Lavalin to construct ethical scaffolding around Prime Minister’s Office

OTTAWA, ON – The embattled Quebec engineering and construction giant was awarded a $59 million redevelopment contract for work to be completed on the Prime Minister’s Office.

SNC-Lavalin Group won the no-bid contract to design, build and maintain a comprehensive ethical shell to encompass the office located at the Langevin Block National Historic Site of Canada.

“With the amount of ethical deterioration we’ve seen over the past several years, it’s critical this scaffolding be constructed as soon as possible,” explained Erik J. Ryan, Executive Vice-President, Strategy, Marketing and External Relations for SNC-Lavalin.

The timing of the contract announcement has some skeptics wondering how SNC-Lavalin was able to win such a lucrative contract in the current environment amid the ongoing WE Charity scandal.

A source close to the Prime Minister says SNC-Lavalin’s commitment to an ethical workshop last year was a big factor in the decision to award the contract.

The source also added that since this contract came in under $912 million, there’s no reason to investigate further. Meanwhile, critics of the project say that it will be difficult to see through the scaffolding, and this works against the Prime Minister’s commitment to transparency. Mr. Ryan maintains that SNL-Lavalin hasn’t blurred any ethical lines with the project. He says that the PMO has agreed to defer further prosecution on the matter.