Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, a response to my second set of written questions regarding contracts to former Ministers was tabled yesterday. Again, the Premier has disrespectfully refused to answer the precise questions asked, so I must again try to drag out answers. I asked the Premier to provide “copies of the documentary evidence supplied by the contractor to demonstrate that the contracted services were provided.” No documents were given.
The Financial Administration Manual requires that “sufficient documentation is retained to substantiate recorded transactions and is verifiable for audit.” The Premier said in the House yesterday, according to unedited Hansard, “everything that we do as a government will flow out of the Financial Administration Act.”
So, Mr. Speaker, if the Executive obeyed the law, the documents must exist. Will the Minister supply those documents, as I have repeatedly asked, or perhaps, if appropriate, admit they don’t exist; whatever the case may be? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Minister of Executive, Mr. Roland.
Mr. Speaker, the contracts that we have in place that we put together so that we can position ourselves when it comes to discussions with either the federal government or industry, at times, are necessary and in place, and we use that, different departments use those as well, and we do have documentation on those. In some areas the documentation is provided directly to and short form to appropriate Ministers. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, former Minister Todd was contracted for up to $48,000, at $1,500 a day, 32 days of work. The FAA requires “that amounts claimed are correct as to quantities and prices for goods or services provided.” So the law required the Executive to verify documentation of the exact services provided. So where’s the invoice that says how many days, even, Mr. Todd worked?
For what I demand is the last time: will the Premier prove the Executive obeyed the law and produce the documents that were verified to approve payment, or was this actually a one-time $48,000 schmooze fee? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. I’ll caution Members to not refer to Members that are not in the House. Mr. Roland.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member is now not a rookie anymore. He’s been around this Assembly long enough and he’s been digging up information for quite some time and making strong suggestions out there or language that we can get on and debate and challenge each other on. He’s not satisfied with the information we’ve given him. There was no schmooze fest, as the Member is suggesting. Contracts were in place; meetings did occur, and a number of them. He’s not satisfied with the information we’ve given him. I am sorry he’s not satisfied, but I don’t know if there’s anything I can do that will satisfy him short of having him sit beside me in meetings and take the notes for me. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Yes, I appreciate the vote of confidence on the Premier that I’m coming along as an MLA, and I apologize for mentioning names here.
Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General’s report that was tabled yesterday in the House noted the need for some serious tune-up of our contracting services, unlike the Premier’s opinion of things, so these questions are not frivolous questions that I’m dreaming up or anything like that. I’ve asked very specific questions repeatedly. So let me offer my third one, specifically, and I will happily shut up, Mr. Speaker, if I get a response that stands up.
As this House knows, the Executive let two sole-source contracts to two contractors at the same time for exactly the same services and described each contractor as “uniquely” able to provide the services. My written question asked how this could be, and the question was ignored. Will the Premier, for the first time, explain now how it is possible for two identical services provided to be unique, and if the answer is that these two unique contractors were providing the same service, why was the contract not bid competitively to get the best price? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, in many forms of contracting, best price isn’t necessarily the best work that you want to get. Especially in the critical days of a government coming into power, it wants to ensure that the information it is collecting, the position it is preparing for in meetings, in opening some of those doors, each person can bring their own unique qualities to the table. For example, with our establishing a relationship with the federal government that’s in place, that requires a unique set of capacity and capabilities, and we received that.
When it comes to dealing with industry, as well as some of the bureaucracy in the system, again, the individuals sought for their experience and ability to open doors and set up meetings for us. So those were done, those were contracts that were entered into initially with our government, and we used those at the time when we felt that we needed them. Since then, we’ve established those networks, we’ve established our criteria and competence with Ministers across the country, whether it is federal, provincial or other territories, and now with that level of confidence and our positions well established, we’ve no need for those contracts. That, as well, shows that with our contracting in place that we did not extend those contracts. Thank you.
Of course, these are just examples. There are many contracts that we could be talking about here and perhaps will in the future. But I’m asking about process here, Mr. Speaker. So I’m asking the Premier what will he do, given the Auditor General’s report and some of the obvious irregularities that we’re raising here in the House, to tune-up this process in a way that gives us the confidence we need, and our public need, that things are being done appropriately and with appropriate documentation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I understand that response was tabled in this Assembly, our response to the Auditor General’s report, on the initiatives we would undertake to deal with those issues. As well, in remarking to other questions earlier this week, the Financial Administration Act is being reviewed and out of that can flow further changes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
