Information & Ethics committee  Thank you, Mr. Chairman and members of the committee. In times of global crisis, the worst and best human behaviours are noticeable. As a result of the declaration of a state of health emergency, the abolition of certain internal control procedures for awarding contracts makes t

Information & Ethics committee  I think the major effect results from the fact that what people hear is from the media. Very often the media will report something in a way that will actually put it in a light that is favourable or otherwise. The problem is that people will make decisions based on what they see

Information & Ethics committee  I would say that the existing procurement system already has some very good internal controls in place and I wouldn't think that there would be extra work to be done, but the thing is that if, because of an emergency, we are bypassing some existing rules and controls that are alr

Information & Ethics committee  Well, I think those 16 questions are really there to give you a guideline. The thing is, if there are some of them, and you say.... As you pointed out, when there's only one option on the table, you need to ask yourself why there is only one option on the table and what was actua

Information & Ethics committee  Yes. I would think it is one of the responsibilities to know them, to make sure they understand them and to receive the training on them if they don't understand them correctly. As you pointed out, I think the Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons was pu

Information & Ethics committee  It's really hard for me to say so, first of all because I don't have access to all the information and the facts that would support it. Unfortunately, the only things I see right now are from the media, so I don't think it would be fair for me to speculate.

Information & Ethics committee  Once again, it would be very hard to say. I think the security of people has been put at stake and I think all the decisions that were made were probably for a good reason. The question is, was the process followed? It's all about the procurement process. Knowing whether it was

Information & Ethics committee  I would say it would be to discuss with senior policy officials to see what the procurement standards are, what the rules and regulations are, and whether we are following them. If there are some that we might not be following because of the emergency, what else can we have in pl

Information & Ethics committee  I would apply the same rules that we had before the pandemic, and whichever do not apply, document the situation, discuss it, ask advice. It could be from external advisers or internal advisers. Ask advice. Ask, “If you were not to respect this guideline, would you be in breach o

Information & Ethics committee  They are, if people are respecting the spirit of the law and not just sticking to the letter of the law. The ones who find the loopholes are the dangerous ones. They are the threat to the organization or the government. You need to make sure to identify those people and to say, “

Information & Ethics committee  Thank you for your kind words. An integrity program is already in place, and it's quite effective. It simply needs some adjusting to address some of the emergency measures related to the current context. It's also important to share the information with people and to tell them w

Information & Ethics committee  You make a very good point. The act has to have teeth. When people violate the act, the penalty has to reflect the severity of the violation. Simply because it is a person's first violation, that does not mean the violation is not serious. The severity of the action is what matte

Information & Ethics committee  First of all, when someone apologizes, it's a polite social behaviour that people quite appreciate. Second of all, saying “I'm sorry” is often about recognizing your mistake, and telling people what you learned and what you are going to do so it doesn't happen again.

Information & Ethics committee  It's a matter of transparency. A person can protect their sources in a number of ways while still being transparent. I know that doesn't quite answer your question, but it's about transparency. A person can be transparent and disclose what they can while being respectful of their

Information & Ethics committee  Unfortunately, not having had access to the details of the case, I can't say what the right penalty would be in order to make an example of the situation, but I am certain that—