Mr. Speaker, I am happy to have this opportunity to reiterate our government's priority on protecting the integrity of our public programs and services. Our department, Public Services and Procurement, is the central purchasing agent and real property manager on behalf of other departments and agencies. Our department is deeply committed to protecting the integrity of the federal procurement process and all of the other processes for which we are responsible. There is nothing more important than maintaining the trust of Canadians.
Fraud, collusion and corruption have absolutely no place in the public sphere. That is why Public Services and Procurement Canada has a rigorous framework around prevention, detection and enforcement. It is firmly based on the values of fairness, transparency and accountability and is focused on delivering real results for all Canadians.
For instance, there is a code of conduct for procurement which clearly outlines expectations as well as roles and responsibilities for both suppliers and public servants.
In addition, we have a fairness monitoring program, one of a range of tools used by the government to support the integrity of the procurement process. The program engages independent impartial third parties to observe high-value, highly sensitive and complex procurements. The oversight helps to assure all parties that activities are being conducted fairly. Final reports from fairness monitors are of course posted on the Internet.
A key piece of the framework was introduced in 2015 when PSPC put in place a government-wide integrity regime, which aims to ensure that the government does business with ethical suppliers in Canada and abroad. As part of this work, PSPC conducts more than 20,000 integrity verifications annually on contracts and real property transactions. That is one of the ways we hold suppliers accountable for wrongdoing and ensure that the rules are applied consistently across government.
Under this regime, instead of a suspension, the department can enter into an administrative agreement with a supplier that has run afoul of the regime. The agreement stipulates the conditions that the supplier must fulfill to maintain its status to be awarded federal contracts. Among other things, these may include remedial measures and regular reporting on progress and compliance. The names of those suppliers are published on the department's website.
As my colleague opposite knows, SNC-Lavalin entered into an administrative agreement with the department in December 2015 and, as such, the corporation may be awarded contracts as long as it follows a very stringent corporate compliance regime. It must demonstrate strong oversight to protect innocent third parties, such as pensioners and employees, from financial harm.
Canadians should know that we monitor these agreements closely to ensure that all of the requirements are met. Our integrity regime is robust, and I assure my colleague that we continue to look for opportunities to strengthen our measures designed to deter and manage corporate wrongdoing.