Honourable senators, my question is for the Leader of the Government in the Senate.

Senator Harder, last week Blacklock’s Reporter published articles two days apart. The first headline read, “Postmedia Awarded $5.5M.” That was June 10. The next, on June 12 read, “$2M Windfall For The Globe.” Both were reporting on untendered contracts. The first one to Postmedia was for communication research and the one to The Globe and Mail was for news clipping services and was more than double the amount for a previous contract.

Blacklock’s Reporter also followed up by saying that records show that sole-source The Globe and Mail contract was among the $8.6 million in untendered fees awarded to publishers since February, prior to the cabinet’s introduction of a media bailout. None of the contracts were put out to public bids.

Senator Harder, what are communication research services and why would the government be paying a private media corporation $5.5 million to provide them?

The Globe and Mail contract is double the amount of a previous contract for the same service. Perhaps you could also find out what exactly is a news clipping service and what justifies doubling the amount of the contract in an election year?