The Ford government appears to be blaming civil servants within the Ontario Public Service after an organization that was under active audit by the province continued to receive funding from multiple government ministries.
Over the course of three years, the Get-A-Head organization was given roughly $20 million from the Ministry of Colleges and Universities for digital mental health counselling services for post-secondary students.
In 2023, Get-A-Head — which was eventually acquired by Keel Digital Solutions and rebranded as Keel Mind — was subjected to a routine audit, which “raised concerns” and eventually triggered a forensic in 2025. That probe has now been referred to the Ontario Provincial Police.
Despite the active audit, however, the company continued to receive millions of dollars in funding from the Ford government from three ministries: $12.7 million from the Ministry of Colleges and Universities in 2024-25, $1.8 million from the Ministry of Health in 2024-25 and $2.3 million from the Ministry of Labour’s skills development fund in 2024-25.
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At Queen’s Park on Tuesday, the government faced continued questions over the timing of the audit and why the province didn’t freeze provincial contracts immediately.
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When asked why these “red flags” did not prevent him from giving government grants to Keel Digital Solutions, Labour Minister David Piccini said the organization was selected for taxpayer funding to “advance the priorities of the government,” and pointed the finger at non-partisan bureaucrats for the continued funding.
“We have a risk assessment process for the Skills Development Fund program, that I developed with the ministry, where the deputy minister is able to deselect an applicant if they feel the risk of the project is too high,” Piccini said.
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Piccini later claimed that the selection process for the government $2.5-billion fund “gives the deputy (minister) the ultimate final say.”
That’s in direct contradiction with what Piccini said in early October when the government first responded to the auditor general’s probe into the skills development fund.
“I, as minister, am responsible and have picked low-scoring programs,” Piccini said on Oct 1.
NDP Leader Marit Stiles said the minister is “flailing” and called for his resignation.
“He’s blaming everybody and anybody and not taking responsibility himself, he’s even blaming his deputy minister,” Stiles said.
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Others also questioned why the Ministry of Colleges and Universities continued to give Keel Digital Solutions funding despite having placed the organization under audit.
“You would think that a ministry that’s auditing somebody they’re funding would pause funding while the audit is happening,” Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner said. “For them to wait two years to act is completely irresponsible.”
Neither Colleges and Universities Minister Nolan Quinn nor Health Minister Sylvia Jones answered questions from Global News about funding an organization actively being audited.
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