Mr. Speaker, I am sorry. I was trying to speak through you to them. I shall make sure that I do so from here on in.
I will make a couple of comments as well with respect to contracts and sole sourcing. The preferred approach of the Department of Public Works and Government Services is always the competitive one. My colleagues know that. Why would they not have mentioned that?
They also know that there are good occasions and good reasons when we need to sole source. They know that. They also know that if we sole source, any supplier who feels qualified to meet the requirement can challenge the sole source award. They forgot to mention that. That is openness. That is transparency. Is it that they do not know or are they being mischievous?
It is interesting to note as well that advance contract award notices can be challenged. They are rarely challenged. What does that mean? That means that it is being done transparently. It is being done above board. I am really surprised that it would not have been mentioned.
I add as well that the House should also be reminded of other measures the Minister of Public Works and Government Services has taken to ensure integrity in the process. For example, all members of the House have been invited to subscribe to the open bidding system. I wonder if those who have been rather loquacious, vociferous and noisy today have done that.
The minister introduced the lobbyist certification clause. Do they know that? Do they know what it does? Probably not. An effective bid challenge process has been implemented in the department. Do they understand that? No, probably not. Contracting operations are subject to regular internal audits. That is another precaution. I cannot believe they would not share the positive as well as the questions they feel need to be addressed.
The Department of Public Works and Government Services holds supplier seminars across the country almost every day to make sure people are aware of what is happening. In this department small contracts are competed, contrary to the impression that was given, even contracts below the dollar threshold required by Treasury Board for competition. That was not said.
They did not talk about the transparency of the open bidding system. They have not said that for low dollar value procurements not advertised on the OBS the department uses an automated vendor rotation system which ensures equitable access to all suppliers of local commodity specific source lists of qualified
suppliers, another precaution. They did not mention that 75 per cent of suppliers subscribing to the OBS have 50 or fewer employees, which points out that small businesses take advantage of it.
We have no evidence of a trend for contract splitting in the department. The department statistics indicate a reduction in both the number of contracts under $30,000 and the number of contract amendments.
I thought we needed to set the record straight because either my colleagues have not done their work or they have done their work and choose to ignore the facts. Either one is unacceptable.
I get back to the specifics. It is my view that the amendment aims to address two issues related to the department's procurement activities: access to information on contracts and ensuring integrity in the procurement process. No one would argue that these are not worthy goals. Right now the department has mechanisms in place which address the same issues.
I am sure the members in opposition are familiar with Public Works and Government Services' efficient and rapid contract opportunity information dissemination system.
I am talking, obviously, about the Open Bidding System, the OBS. It is an electronic display panel providing information not only on opportunities for contracts over $25,000 for goods and over $60,000 for services, but on contracts already awarded. It provides details on the bid selected along with the name of the contractor and the amount of the contract.
The OBS gives its users, be they small or medium size businesses or members of Parliament, instant access to valuable information on procurement opportunities past and present.
If the goal of the member is to ensure that the system is fair, let me assure the House that many steps have already been taken by the minister and the department toward that goal. For instance, the Minister of Public Works and Government Services has taken positive steps to tighten up the manner in which the government awards contracts for advertising and public opinion research. This is a sensitive area, one in which the actions of the previous government have come under serious criticism. The minister has also moved to curb the potential influence that lobbyists could bring to bear on the contracting process.
All contracts awarded by Public Works and Government Services now include a clause requiring all firms to state that payment, in full or in part, of services rendered by all lobbyists hired to obtain the contract depends neither directly nor indirectly on the client's being awarded the contract.
In other words, conditional payment of honoraria to lobbyists is prohibited. As the result of these amendments, Treasury Board now requires all departments to prohibit contractors from paying their lobbyists conditionally.
If it is accountability that the member is concerned about, the function of procurement or contracting out is almost certainly the most closely scrutinized responsibility of the minister and Department of Public Works and Government Services. The contracting process is subject to the department's own rules and procedures; to Treasury Board regulations and guidelines; to scrutiny by cabinet and the auditor general; and of course, by the media and the Canadian public.
An emphasis on fair and open competition goes to the very heart of the drive for economic growth and renewal in this country. Fair competition encourages firms to strive for greater efficiency and to look for innovative ways of producing and delivering their goods and services.
These qualities are vital to the development of a strong and creative economy for Canada. It is therefore particularly important for the federal government to practice what it preaches in its own business operations.
By stressing competition, fairness, and openness in contracting, the government can help build a culture of excellence in this country and ensure the Canadian taxpayers get full value for their money. Passage of Bill C-52 and the creation of the Department of Public Works and Government Services will be a positive step in meeting this goal.
I will close by saying that I deplore this tendency we have of making unfounded accusations. I also deplore the tendency of exaggerating problems we have in government and I deplore the tendency of members not doing their homework before rising in the House.