Manitoba·CBC InvestigatesThe manager for the Manitoba Progressive Conservative Party’s 2023 election campaign took part in a meeting about a daycare project that resulted in a $2.8-million payday for a company she co-owns — contrary to earlier claims she had nothing to do with the project.Marni Larkin met officials about daycare project that paid company she co-owns, contrary to earlier claimsMarni Larkin, who served as the co-chair of the Progressive Conservative election campaign during the 2023 Manitoba election, met with provincial officials in 2022 about a daycare project that paid $2.8 million to a firm she co-owns, according to meeting minutes obtained by CBC News. (Travis Golby/CBC)The manager for the Manitoba Progressive Conservative Party’s 2023 election campaign took part in a meeting about a daycare project that resulted in a $2.8-million payday for a company she co-owns — contrary to earlier claims she had nothing to do with the project.Provincial meeting minutes show Marni Larkin met with officials from the province’s child-care department and social innovation office on May 27, 2022, about a daycare construction project involving the province and JohnQ Public, a company owned by 12 Winnipeg-area municipalities.The draft meeting minutes, obtained by CBC News through a freedom of information request, contradict earlier assertions from JohnQ’s CEO, as well as Larkin’s business partner, that the PC campaign manager played no role in the daycare construction project.Larkin served as the co-chair of the Progressive Conservative re-election campaign in 2023, when Heather Stefanson’s PCs lost power to Wab Kinew’s New Democrats. Stefanson described Larkin as a friend and campaign director during her concession speech.Larkin is also the secretary and co-owner of Boom Done Next, a Winnipeg consulting firm. In 2022, Stefanson’s PC government provided funds to build 22 rural Manitoba daycares, all but one of which are now open, as part of a project announced at $70 million and later estimated at $100 million. The municipalities contracted JQ Built, a spinoff company of JohnQ Public, to build the facilities, according to the province. Do you have a story you want to share? Send your tips to iteam@cbc.ca or call us at 204-788-3744. Colleen Sklar, JohnQ Public’s CEO, said in an April interview that JQ Built paid Boom Done Next to provide oversight of the construction contract.Boom Done Next was paid $2.8 million for this work, according to a summary of vendor payments provided by the province. Happy Hive Childcare Centre in Kleefeld, Man., is one of 22 daycares built in Manitoba through a $100-million project administered by JohnQ Public, a company owned by 12 Manitoba municipalities. Larkin’s firm, Boom Done Next, provided oversight of the construction contract. (Pretium Projects Ltd.)Tracy Schmidt, the education minister for the NDP government, made that payment public in April, after weeks of questions from CBC News about the daycare project.Schmidt rose on the floor of the Manitoba Legislature on April 24 to announce her government asked Manitoba’s auditor general to review the daycare construction project on the basis it may not have followed normal procurement practices.”When we became aware of the irregularities of these contracts, we cannot in good faith ignore the political overlap,” Schmidt said on the floor of the legislature.At the time, Boom Done Next president and co-owner Joe Leuzzi, Larkin’s business partner, said that was disappointing.”The suggestion that our role in this important work is somehow suspect in any way is disappointing and, frankly, disheartening,” Leuzzi said via email on April 24.Leuzzi said drawing the auditor general “into a political narrative to generate headlines” is unfair to the project’s leaders and “does a disservice to people who worked on the project and the families who are now benefitting from greater access to high-quality, affordable child care.”Leuzzi said Larkin played no role in the daycare project and described himself as the leader of a dedicated team. “Marni Larkin recused herself from this work entirely and played no role in the project,” Leuzzi’s email said.PC campaign chair met with province about project that paid her company $2.8MThe manager for the Manitoba Progressive Conservative Party’s 2023 election campaign took part in a meeting about a daycare project that resulted in a $2.8-million payday for a company she co-owns — contrary to earlier claims she had nothing to do with the project.JohnQ Public CEO Sklar also said in April that Larkin was not involved in the daycare project.”Not on this project, no,” Sklar said in an interview in April.The payment to Boom Done Next covered the work of two owner representatives — Leuzzi served as one of them — and one warranty manager, Sklar said.Owner representatives typically work to ensure the best interests of project owners are looked after during the construction process.According to a document provided to CBC News, Leuzzi’s role was to confirm construction invoices matched the work on the daycares, which were built for 19 municipalities and one First Nation-owned trust.Minutes show Larkin met with 4 provincial officialsThe May 2022 meeting minutes obtained by CBC News show Larkin met to discuss the daycare project with two people from the province’s social innovation office, two child-care office employees and one person whose name was redacted.CBC News obtained independent confirmation Larkin was present at the meeting. As well, a spokesperson for the Manitoba government confirmed every person listed on the draft meeting minute was present at the May 27, 2022, meeting.A draft version of the first page of the minutes from a May 27, 2022, daycare project meeting shows the attendance of Marni Larkin. Red oval added for emphasis. (Province of Manitoba)Topics discussed at the meeting included the daycare partnership with municipalities, project timelines and several risks, some of which were redacted, according to the meeting minutes.In a statement on Sept. 2, Larkin said she worked with JohnQ Public “on a number of files over the years.”Larkin did not respond to subsequent questions about her participation in the May 2022 daycare project meeting.JohnQ board chair Brad Erb said in a Sept. 3 statement that Larkin “was consulted early in the days of JohnQ” but did not specify in what capacity.Erb also declined to comment about Larkin’s presence at the May 2022 daycare meeting.”JohnQ has no further comment on Ms. Larkin and her earlier involvement with JohnQ,” JohnQ’s board of directors said in an email dated Sept. 17.Finance Minister Adrien Sala said the fact Larkin was present at a daycare project meeting undermines the contention she was not involved in the project. (Tyson Koschik/CBC)Larkin’s presence at the May 2022 meeting raises even more questions about the daycare project, Finance Minister Adrien Sala said. “The fact that it’s been confirmed that she was present at the meeting undermines the story that’s been told so far about her involvement in the project,” Sala said in a Sept. 18 interview.”We had an individual that ran the PC campaign in the last election, whose company profited from the last government’s decisions around daycares — $2.8 million is a lot of money.”Manitoba Progressive Conservative Leader Obby Khan, who was a cabinet minister in the former PC government, said he had no knowledge of Larkin’s involvement in the daycare project.The daycare construction program was a significant economic development for Manitoba, he said.”Our government was committed to growing our economy and growing child-care spaces. Manitobans want child-care spaces,” Khan said in a Sept. 5 interview.Manitoba Progressive Conservative Leader Obby Khan, who was a cabinet minister in the former PC government, said he had no knowledge of Larkin’s involvement in the daycare project. (Trevor Brine/CBC)Khan also said he is not concerned with the NDP government’s request for the auditor general to review the JohnQ daycare construction project.The auditor general’s office has not said whether it will investigate the daycare project.ABOUT THE AUTHORBartley Kives joined CBC Manitoba in 2016. Prior to that, he spent three years at the Winnipeg Sun and then 18 at the Winnipeg Free Press, writing about politics, music, food and outdoor recreation. He’s the author of three books – two of them Canadian bestsellers – and the winner of a Canadian Screen Award for reporting.
Manitoba PC campaign chair met with province about project that paid her company $2.8M
