Mr. Speaker, last week the Auditor General confirmed that without proper oversight, due process or consideration, the government flagrantly ignored public procurement procedures and gave $64 million in taxpayer dollars to unqualified insider consultants. In the Auditor General's own words, the government frequently failed to show “which contracted resources performed the work, what work was completed, and whether the people doing the work had the required experience and qualifications.”
The Liberal governments of yesteryear at the very least put up a facade of public utility when giving lucrative government contracts to insiders. With GC Strategies, that veil came off completely. Unlike this government, the opposition respects the public purse and has a motion ready to go and get that money back. The only question is whether this Liberal government's hubris allows it to admit its mistake, take responsibility and give the money back.