QUESTION PERIOD — Public Services and Procurement
Procurement Process
June 19, 2025
Leader, for two years in a row now, the Auditor General of Canada has released scathing reports that detail rampant non‑compliance with procurement rules and repeated failures to demonstrate value for money. Yet the government has astonishingly increased its professional services budget this year by over $7 billion, or 37%, according to this year’s Main Estimates.
How does the government justify such a dramatic surge in spending on external consultants while procurement oversight remains demonstrably broken?
The government is not only seized with but also accepts the recommendations of the Auditor General in the criticism that she levelled against the procurement policies. Each minister has been focused by the Prime Minister — through the mandate letter delivered to each minister — to provide feedback to the government as to how those ministries, including procurement, will deliver on the promises.
Minister Solomon and all other ministers are going to be focused on using the tools available to us — technologically, human resources and the like — to make the much-needed improvements in our procurement process.
If we don’t do that, then the investments that we make, whether in defence or in our economy, will be for naught. This government is going to focus on the results it needs, and it is determined to get it right.
Leader, it’s a lot of money: $7 billion of taxpayer money, which is the increase.
What specific actions is the government taking to reduce its dependency on consultants, and when will Canadians see those actions reflected in actual reductions in spending?
Thank you for your question. I do not have the specific answer, except to remind us that there is an almost obvious mathematical relationship between the number of employees in the public service and those outside resources that may be needed to address specific issues.
This government and the Prime Minister are focused on economic growth and on efficiency in government, and they are determined to deliver on those promises.
