Committee Update

Parliament is now prorogued, which means all the important topics that were previously being studied at the Government Operations and Estimates Committee (OGGO) have now been wiped away. Here are some of the important topics that can no longer be studied due to this decision.

Contracting Scandals

There have been many contracting scandals before OGGO that were still ongoing and had not been formally reported. These final reports are important, as they summarize the issue and provide recommendations by Committee Members which can then be debated and discussed in the House of Commons. The following studies have now ‘died’ at Committee and will never have a publicized, final report.

• ArriveCAN
• McKinsey
• Indigenous Procurement

Accountability Scandals

Members of OGGO have also spent much of their time ensuring that this government remains accountable to Canadians through the many independent offices responsible for reviewing government actions. The Committee heard reports from several (independent) Offices of Parliament in addition to their testimony as to whether they have been provided with sufficient resources to fulfil their obligations.

• Public Sector Integrity Commissioner
• Procurement Ombudsman
• Auditor General of Canada

There is the added concern that the whistleblower legislation OGGO reviewed back in 2023 has now died in the Senate. This unfortunately means that Canada remains stuck with some of the weakest whistleblower protections in the world.

The studies listed here are only some of those lost due to prorogation, and only from one Parliamentary Standing Committee. Many other studies, or potential studies, can no longer occur which leaves the government free to act without proper oversight from opposition.

It is unfortunate that the Prime Minister decided to hide behind procedure to attempt to save his own party rather than prioritizing accountability as he once promised would be his government’s focus.