Mr. Speaker, the government indeed takes its responsibility as the steward of public funds very seriously. We are committed to making sure that government spending stands up to the highest levels of scrutiny. We have said many times already that we welcome and accept the findings and recommendations of the Auditor General and others with regard to their most recent report on procurement and professional services.
The findings are very much in line with several previous internal and external reviews relating to similar matters. These reviews are the basis for the work we have been doing for months now to implement stronger measures to improve oversight and controls of federal procurement. Our government is committed to taking action against bad actors, whether they be federal contractors, anti-abortion activists or homophobic hecklers. I am sure the member across the way agrees with me on the importance of all three.
Public Services and Procurement Canada, PSPC, is the federal government's central purchasing agent and is committed to conducting procurements in an open, fair and transparent manner. Of course, the Government of Canada already has solid regulations, procedures and guidelines in place to make sure that anything that happens in every department is maintained appropriately, but we are always looking for ways to continuously improve our processes, to make them more rigorous and to ensure that decisions and justifications are properly documented along the way.
To that end, PSPC has already instituted several changes. These include introducing a mandatory requirement for contracting authorities to retain all documents related to contractual decisions about professional services. We have also changed how the department administers non-competitive national master standing offers by ensuring that justifications are on file. In addition, PSPC has created a new position: chief of contract quality assurance and records compliance. This will also help to ensure that critical elements of decision-making throughout the procurement process are properly documented, that guidelines and tools are put in place and that quality is being actively monitored.
These efforts are consistent with PSPC's commitment to continuously improve government procurement practices. I can tell the House that officials will keep looking for ways to strengthen the integrity of government procurement. For example, regarding the Auditor General's June 2024 report, we accept her recommendations to further strengthen measures to appropriately report and monitor potential conflicts of interest.
The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat now has a new mandatory procedure that provides the additional checks and balances for managers, to reinforce their responsibilities and accountabilities when undertaking professional services and procurement activities. Indeed, it is important to have proactive and rigorous processes in place to identify conflicts of interest and procurement processes. PSPC is supporting the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat in the implementation of this new mandatory procedure to ensure that standards across all agencies are met.
I want to thank the Auditor General and her team for undertaking the review and for their findings and valuable recommendations. They will help us continue to improve our processes and further strengthen the integrity of federal procurement of professional services. Our government will do all that is possible to ensure that the best value for Canadian taxpayers and government procurement is maintained throughout the wide degree of procurement that occurs in the Government of Canada.