QUESTION PERIOD — Public Services and Procurement
Procurement Process
June 6, 2024
Leader, on Tuesday, the Auditor General reported that in 13 out of 17 contracts given to McKinsey where security clearances should have been necessary, the Trudeau government allowed McKinsey to operate without them. For example, five contractors were granted access to the immigration department’s network without a valid security clearance.
Lax security oversight isn’t isolated to McKinsey. In a report on “ArriveScam” in February, the Auditor General found some of the consultants tasked to do cybersecurity work on the app did not have security clearances. Leader, how do you defend the Trudeau government’s repeated disregard for security?
All of the issues around the awarding of contracts have been the subject of serious review, scrutiny and action taken by this government. New protocols have been put into place. In some cases, as was reported on several occasions, measures have been taken to terminate standing orders. In other cases, the ability of departments to issue such contracts on their own was taken away. Other measures are being contemplated as well to ensure that Canadians get the value that they deserve when contracts are accorded.
With respect to the contracts given to Accenture for the Canada Emergency Business Account, or CEBA, program, the Trudeau government claims only workers at Export Development Canada, or EDC, and Accenture handled the data of Canadian small businesses and not workers at the Brazilian subsidiary of Accenture.
In February, I asked you if all workers handling the sensitive information had security clearances. It’s been four months, leader. What’s the answer to my question?
Thank you for your question. Let’s recall, colleagues, that the Canada Emergency Business Account helped keep nearly 900,000 small businesses across the country afloat and to keep their workers on the payroll. EDC, the arm’s length Crown corporation responsible for administering CEBA, independently awarded the contract. The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance has raised her concerns with the contract directly with the President of EDC.
