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Filomena Tassi Agrees Criteria for Awarding Government Contracts Needs to be Stronger
Filomena Tassi, the former Procurement Minister, has spoken out about the need for stronger criteria in awarding government contracts, following revelations of favoritism towards consulting firm McKinsey & Company. The procurement ombudsman, Alexander Jeglic, found that McKinsey had been awarded $117 million in contracts between April 2011 and March 2023, with one contract worth $5.7 million signed off by Tassi herself.
Tassi defended her decision to approve the contract, stating that it was to assist Employment and Social Development Canada in enhancing service delivery to Canadians. However, Jeglic’s report highlighted the need for stronger parameters around such contracts, particularly as the amount of public money awarded to McKinsey has significantly increased since the Liberals came into power in 2015.
The report noted that many of the contracts awarded to McKinsey were sole-sourced through standing offers, without proper justification for the non-competitive process. Jeglic emphasized the importance of transparency and accountability in government procurement practices, calling for reforms to prevent favoritism and ensure fair competition in the awarding of contracts.
The issue has raised concerns about the integrity of the procurement process and the need for greater oversight to prevent potential conflicts of interest. As the government works to address these issues, the public will be watching closely to ensure that taxpayer dollars are being spent responsibly and ethically.
