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Government Contracts June 11th, 2002
Mr. Speaker, quite to the contrary. The matter was not removed from the public arena. The fact that there was an internal audit was disclosed. It was put on the Internet and was published in the Globe and Mail . That is hardly removing something from the public arena. It is putting something into the public arena.
Government Contracts June 11th, 2002
Mr. Speaker, for the simple reason that when I comment on a particular reference, obviously the matter is put in the public domain and may in fact tip off those who the police wish to investigate.
Government Contracts June 11th, 2002
Mr. Speaker, references to the police are not the same as police investigations. The police themselves determine what they will investigate and no government should tell them where to go in their investigations. I do not want to interfere with the police in that process.
When I am asked a specific question about a specific file, in the interests of transparency, I give a very direct answer. I am aware of no other police references other than those that have been mentioned publicly.
Government Contracts June 11th, 2002
Mr. Speaker, I have given the instructions to my officials to pursue this matter. I expect them to do that. If they need my intervention personally, I would be happy to assist them to ensure that the taxpayers are made whole.
With respect to the question of other issues related to value for money, as the hon. gentleman knows, that will be exactly the topic that will be inquired into by the auditor general. To the best of my knowledge at this moment, there are no other instances. However the auditor general herself has said she wishes to do a government-wide audit and she will.
Government Contracts June 11th, 2002
Mr. Speaker, I have given instructions to my department to pursue the repayment of these funds by all means possible. It will do that. If it can be recovered through a simple request, fine. If not, we will consider all our options to ensure that the money is repaid.
Government Contracts June 11th, 2002
Mr. Speaker, in responding properly to the situation, beyond the internal audit work that was done, I would remind the House that a departmental review is underway. The auditor general will be commencing a government wide examination of sponsorships and advertising. The police are notified whenever suspicious circumstances occur. The treasury board is examining the governance and management frameworks for sponsorship, advertising and polling, and of course the public accounts committee is holding hearings.
Government Contracts June 11th, 2002
Mr. Speaker, in response to difficulties in the sponsorship program, the department of public works took the initiative itself to launch an internal audit. I would remind the hon. member that the auditor general, in commenting upon the internal audit section of Public Works and Government Services Canada, called that internal audit section excellent, courageous and having done a critical piece of work to get to the bottom of what was wrong.
Government Contracts June 11th, 2002
Mr. Speaker, transparency is important and that is why the internal audit was posted on the Internet in October 2000. Further transparency occurred with the detailed publication the day after in the Globe and Mail , followed by the implementation plan to act on the auditor's recommendations. This was followed by verification in the spring of this year to make sure that the work had in fact been done.
Government Contracts June 11th, 2002
Mr. Speaker, it was the Department of Public Works and Government Services itself that launched the internal audit in the year 2000. That audit determined that there were certain treasury board procedures that had not been complied with. Immediately upon conclusion of the audit the department put together the implementation plan to make sure that in future treasury board procedures would be complied with completely.
Government Contracts June 11th, 2002
Mr. Speaker, again I would note that the matter appeared on the Internet on October 11, 2000, and details were published in the Globe and Mail , on page A3 to be exact, on October 12, 2000.