Discussion · Government Orders
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Québécois
“The government is paying a former bank executive nearly $700,000 a year to run this defence work. It is also stopping the procurement watchdog from reviewing these contracts. This plan wastes public money and hides the government's biggest purchases from proper oversight.”
“Mr. Speaker, my colleague talked about commitment. The government is committed to paying Douglas Guzman a salary of nearly $700,000 annually, which is double the salary of the Minister of Finance and National Revenue. Douglas Guzman is a former associate of the Prime Minister’s at Goldman Sachs. He is committed to satisfying Guzman, since Guzman was threatening to leave his position because he felt that working in the public service was ineffective. It is committed to being the only country among its NATO and Five Eyes allies to have such a structure, which raises a number of questions about transparency, ministerial responsibility and the use of public funds. Furthermore, it is committed to preventing the Office of the Procurement Ombud from reviewing contracts signed with the Defence Investment Agency, or DIA, since it does not have the authority to investigate Crown corporations. This means less transparency and less control over the government’s most expensive procurements. Is that the kind of commitment the government was elected on?”
Mr. Speaker, my colleague talked about commitment. The government is committed to paying Douglas Guzman a salary of nearly $700,000 annually, which is double the salary of the Minister of Finance and National Revenue. Douglas Guzman is a former associate of the Prime Minister’s at Goldman Sachs. He is committed to satisfying Guzman, since Guzman was threatening to leave his position because he felt that working in the public service was ineffective. It is committed to being the only country among its NATO and Five Eyes allies to have such a structure, which raises a number of questions about transparency, ministerial responsibility and the use of public funds. Furthermore, it is committed to preventing the Office of the Procurement Ombud from reviewing contracts signed with the Defence Investment Agency, or DIA, since it does not have the authority to investigate Crown corporations. This means less transparency and less control over the government’s most expensive procurements. Is that the kind of commitment the government was elected on?