OTTAWA
(PoliticsWatch posted October 4, 2002 @ 3 p.m.)
Solicitor-General Lawrence MacAulay fought back against
allegations he wrongly awarded a contract to a friend, saying he
followed the proper procedures.
MacAulay told the House of
Commons he followed the rules outlined by the Treasury Board
when the contract was given to MacIsaac, Younker, Roche and
Soloman of Prince Edward Island. Everett Roche, who was
MacAulay's official agent in the last two federal elections, is
a partner in the firm.
 The
Minister said the contract was posted on the Advance Contract
Award Notice section of the public MERX government system on
March 15, 2001. After no appeals were made to the department,
the contract was signed May 10, 2001.
The contract was originally
worth $70,000 for strategic services including advice on the
national drug strategy, MacAulay said. The work was performed by
David Nicholson, a former Deputy Minister of Veterans Affairs.
Total payment was $100,185 and the contract ended in June
2002.
MacAulay got up many times
during question period to defend the contract and the services
provided, which he said were good for P.E.I and Canada.
Canadian Alliance didn't buy
it and constantly challenged MacAulay to explain how he didn't
break the rules. Members referred to Treasury Board guidelines
which allow the bidding process on a contract can be skipped if
there is a pressing emergency, the contract is under $25,000,
it's not in public interest to solicit bids, or only one person
or firm is capable of doing the work.
Opposition parties took most
of question period to attack MacAulay. Canadian Alliance leader
Stephen Harper went as far as saying, "It's okay to funnel
money to friends if it's done through a firm."
Afterwards in a scrum Harper
said the Solicitor-General should be fired over the matter, as
was the case for former Defence Minister Art Eggleton when he
gave a contract to an ex-girlfriend.
"They're damaging the
government's reputation. So they may think they're riding it out
but I think they're doing themselves more damage by not doing
the correct thing and putting an end to this kind of behaviour
and firing
the Minister."
Federal Ethics Minister
Howard Wilson has stepped in and look into the case. MacAulay
said he welcomes the review.
Public Works Minister Ralph
Goodale declined to specifically comment on the matter because
the contract did not go through his department.
"Ministers do have the
ability to proceed with the acquisition of services within
certain limits and according to certain rules," Goodale
said in a scrum. "Mr. MacAulay had explained the
circumstances around the contract."
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