What’s in the budget for federal procurement? More money for housing, less for long-term projects
Key highlights of the budget concerning procurement include ‘strengthening integrity in the public service,’ as the ArriveCan scandal unfolds.
Canada’s military procurement: a laundry list of broken promises
Only a foolish military analyst would hail the recent defence policy update as a solid building block upon which to rebuild our badly depleted CAF.
ArriveCan contractor admits ‘mistakes,’ faces historic public rebuke in Parliament; RCMP search contractor’s home day before House admonishment
After being admonished in the House of Commons on April 17, ArriveCan contractor Kristian Firth confirms the RCMP searched his property, but that it was not related to the ArriveCan investigation.
Procurement watchdog to probe ‘bait and switch’ practices across departments amid ArriveCan revelations
Procurement Ombud Alexander Jeglic’s January report found most of the subcontractors pitched to secure a contract with the government on the ArriveCan application did not perform the work.
Centre Block project contracting ramps up as focus shifts from demolition to rebuild
Roughly 1,600 windows in Centre Block are set to be replaced with replicas or upgraded as part of renovations, and the process to award a contract for that work will get underway this spring.
ArriveCan shows government consultants should prove ethical business foundations before getting contracts
Acknowledging the role of external consultants in conducting the business of government is important for politicians of all stripes and federal decision-makers. There should be a new focus on optimizing the return on investment.
Feds pledge faster and better defence procurement strategy, but experts say it all comes down to execution
The April 8 policy update acknowledged that ‘defence procurement takes too long in Canada and needs to be faster and more effective,’ but the initial steps outlined to fix things were met with mixed reviews.
Finishing the fight against COVID and the ‘global race’ to the top of Mount Vaccine
In the final part of The Hill Times‘ series on the fourth anniversary of COVID-19, Minister Anita Anand reflects on her role in the global race for PPE and vaccines, and precinct staff highlight the unequal impact the transition to a virtual Parliament had on essential employees.
Key ArriveCan contractor disputes AG’s findings, says his firm was paid less than $19M for app
GC Strategies expressed its ‘disagreement’ with the auditor general’s estimate it was paid $19.1-million for the ArriveCan build prior to the release of the Feb. 12 report, which noted it was ‘possible that some amounts attributed to ArriveCan were not for the application.’
Eight years after Phoenix launch, unions demand ‘ongoing damages’ for affected employees as new system still in development
Since 2018, $154-million has gone to contractors to develop an alternative pay system, in addition to the billions of dollars spent on Phoenix fixes.
