Good afternoon, distinguished members of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics.
First, I want to make it clear that I'm not an ethicist or an ethics expert. I'll leave it to much more qualified individuals to shed the proper light on this matter. I don't claim to have a thorough understanding of the rules for awarding public contracts at the federal level. However, I believe that my experience in various fields could help you with your work.
I was the assistant chief prosecutor of Quebec's commission of inquiry on the awarding and management of contracts in the construction industry, also known as the Charbonneau commission. The commission lasted almost three years. It was chaired by the Honourable Justice Charbonneau of the Superior Court. I was also the first inspector general of the City of Montreal, with a mandate to promote integrity and to prevent and combat any fraudulent practices in the awarding and fulfillment of City of Montreal contracts. Lastly, I was president and chief executive officer of the Autorité des marchés publics, an organization created as a result of the landmark recommendation of the Charbonneau commission. The mission of this organization is to oversee all public contracts in Quebec.
In Canada, both at the federal level and in all Canadian provinces, the awarding of public contracts is strictly regulated by various laws or regulations. The principles underlying the enforcement of these rules are to ensure the best product or service at the best price for all Canadians; to guarantee freedom of competition; and to give equal opportunity to all individuals who want to obtain a government contract. These goals have been enshrined in our legal system for a long time. They're often reiterated by courts across Canada.
To meet these goals for awarding a public contract for a certain amount, such as $100,000 in Quebec, a public call for tenders is mandatory, unless there are exceptional circumstances. The public call for tenders basically aims, for a public contracting authority, to simultaneously reach all the interested parties that can enter into a contract and that have the skills and expertise required to fulfill a public contract. The purpose is to encourage more competition. However, the various pieces of legislation regarding government contracts in Canada state that a contract may be entered into because of an emergency or another exceptional situation.
No one is calling into question the exceptional global situation that we've been facing since the end of last winter. No one is disputing the urgent need for our leaders to take action. They must invest massive amounts of money to help Canadians deal with the disastrous effects of the pandemic, particularly on the economic front. However, the urgency must not become a reason to circumvent the mandatory rules governing public contracts. The urgency shouldn't also contribute to a lax approach to monitoring and overseeing taxpayer dollars.
As a former inspector general of the City of Montreal, and also as a Canadian taxpayer, I'm very concerned about the safeguards in place to prevent price gouging, possible fraud and waste. I also wonder whether we've obtained the best products and services at the best price from those companies or organizations that have dealt with or that continue to deal with the government by mutual agreement, citing the urgency of the situation.
As a starting point for discussion, we could draw inspiration from the work of some inspectors general offices in the United States. By the way, I'm a certified and trained inspector general. I'm also a member of the board of directors of the Association of Inspectors General in the United States. I'm the only Canadian member of the board. I'll also be a member of the executive until the end of December.
These offices have live integrity monitoring and oversight programs. We know that hurricanes and other natural disasters are common in the United States. In the event of a massive influx of federal or state money following a natural disaster, integrity monitoring is always carried out to prevent price gouging, waste and possible fraud. I can tell you more about these integrity monitoring programs, if you have any questions.
Once again, I would like to thank you for inviting me to appear before the committee today. I hope to be able to contribute in some small way to the work of this committee.