“I remain concerned regarding negative trends related to the lack of competitive processes and deficient documentation practices that continue to pose problems and undermine transparency in federal procurement.”
Mr. Jeglic, whose office reviews the practices of federal departments for acquiring goods and services, said the contracting process is “unnecessarily complex,” which has been a contributing factor in the lack of participation in solicitations since 2018.
Mr. Jeglic also highlighted that the percentage of competitive solicitations resulting in only one bid had dropped from 52 percent to 36 percent, and hovered around 34 percent from 2022-23, according to Blacklock’s Reporter.
“This number remains much too high and must be addressed. The benefits of competition are greatly reduced when no competitive tension exists,” the report said.
Mr. Jeglic’s office has also experienced issues regarding transparency, often encountering difficulties in gaining access to procurement documentation or reliable contracting data. “Concerns about questionable federal procurement activities have negatively impacted public trust in the federal procurement system, and must be addressed,” he said.
To date, no parliamentary committee has investigated COVID-19 contracting by lobbyists. In 2021, Liberal and Bloc Québécois MPs on the House of Commons ethics committee rejected a motion for a probe by Conservative MP John Brassard by a 6–4 vote.
“We know there’s been $500 billion in pandemic spending that has occurred,” Mr. Brassard said at the time, according to Blacklock’s. “I think it’s important for Canadians and indeed important for this committee to have the confidence pandemic spending has been done in an open, transparent and accountable manner.”
A subsequent 2023 spot audit by the Procurement Ombudsman found more than a tenth of COVID contracts approved by the Department of Health failed to comply with rules. The department had issued a total of 17,000 contracts.
