Statement made on 22 June 2010 by Senator Francis Fox (retired)
Hon. Francis Fox:
Honourable senators, my question is for the Leader of the Government in the Senate and has to do with Treasury Board guidelines for awarding contracts.
As the leader is aware, the Treasury Board's contracting policy was adopted in order for the government to award contracts in a manner that stands the test of public scrutiny, facilitates access, encourages competition and reflects fairness in the spending of public funds. When awarding a contract, it is the responsibility of government agencies and departments to follow all of the procurement guidelines and regulations listed in the contracting policy. More specifically, different sections of Treasury Board policy state that approval must be obtained prior to entering into contracts or contractual arrangements; that bids must be solicited from potential contractors before any contract is entered into; that contracting officials are to ensure that contract files are properly documented; and that contracting authorities are required, as a follow-up, to report statistics.
Does the minister believe that these strict policies on contract awarding are essential to the operations of a transparent and accountable government?
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