(OTTAWA) Internal audits of Ottawa’s contracts with McKinsey so far show that federal departments have not consistently followed certain administrative rules and procedures, the Treasury Board admitted Friday.
In a statement, the Treasury Board Secretariat says “preliminary observations” on the results of departmental audits reveal “no evidence of political interference.” Rather, these audits would reveal “broad compliance with values ​​and ethics commitments” across government, it says.
On the other hand, there are “indications that certain administrative procedures and requirements have not been consistently followed” by departments.
The Treasury Board says these are “preliminary observations” on the results of internal audits, which were conducted as part of its review of federal contracts awarded to the consulting firm McKinsey.
Consulting firm McKinsey has come to prominence following reports of the rapid growth in the value of contracts awarded to it by government departments since the Liberal government came to power more than seven years. The government said McKinsey had received at least $116.8 million in federal contracts since the Liberals took office in 2015.
The House of Commons Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates also examines federal contracts awarded to McKinsey, as does the Office of the Auditor General and the Office of the Procurement Ombudsman.
The Treasury Board Secretariat said Friday that “these are preliminary observations, and a more detailed review will be conducted to fully assess whether any changes or improvements should be made to federal procurement policies or practices.” “. It adds that the departments “have developed management action plans to address their respective audit recommendations.”
Bloc Québécois national revenue critic Jean-Denis Garon said Friday that “this new information on McKinsey comes in addition to the ongoing Auditor General’s investigation and multiple past revelations that raise concerns. important questions about the heavy tendency of the federal government to subcontract the management of the State to private firms”.
“The government must be accountable to the population for its flawed management methods, rather than sweeping the dust under the rug, on the sly, in the middle of a presidential visit,” said the Bloc member for Mirabel in a press release. Light must be shed on the process of awarding contracts to McKinsey. Sooner or later, Justin Trudeau’s Liberals will have to take responsibility for this. »
