Federal officials unable to explain why former Liberal MP awarded $237M contract

 

Federal officials went silent during a Standing Committee on Finance meeting on Thursday after Conservative MP Ted Falk questioned the government’s decision to award a $237 million contract to a former Liberal MP.

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“I think we can all appreciate the need for the government to move quickly at the onset of COVID-19 and at the same time we recognize that we also have the responsibility to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars and to do our due diligence,” said Falk. 

“I’m thinking specifically of contracts that were awarded to businesses during that time, I’m thinking of a situation where there was a company that apparently wasn’t even in existence for a week that got awarded a contract for $237 million and subsequently sublet that contract to Baylis Medical, the firm of a former Liberal MP. I’m just wondering what criteria did the department use in making decisions like awarding contracts like that.”

Following Falk’s question, no Liberal MP was able to provide an answer. 

“If no one else from my department can answer at this time, we can try and follow up. I am not personally familiar with that issue,” said Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Economic and Fiscal Policy Branch Alison McDermott.

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