When Public Services and Procurement Canada enters into contractual agreements with various suppliers, Treasury Board rules must be followed.
The situation was urgent, but the Treasury Board had to follow the rules for awarding contracts, especially when tens of millions of dollars, or even more than $200 million, are being distributed. That's not small change.
Was there strict control been between the Treasury Board and the departments, including Public Services and Procurement Canada? Were they told that they had to follow certain rules or was it so urgent that follow-up was less important? Today, we have to recover $80 million from a Montreal company and other companies. I'd like to know if the government is having trouble recovering certain amounts.
Public Services and Procurement Canada was entering into agreements, but the Treasury Board still had to follow up, since government spending is under its responsibility and that of the minister. Is that correct?