Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not sure the math adds up, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Member for recognizing that when there was public concern, I called an audit immediately, to ensure that there was no wrongdoing, and to find out what was going on. I want to indicate to the House that we take accountability and transparency very seriously, and that's exactly why we looked into this. I would acknowledge that our contract administration was lax over that period. We have taken steps to improve that. I think the contract registry will shed a lot of light on procurement in general. I think that's a very important tool. We do have delegation instruments. I can safely say that all departments have delegated the authority for various levels of contracts down into their departments. It simply wouldn't be feasible for Cabinet to review all contracts, regardless of their amounts. So we have all done that, but it is still important to recognize that, at the end of the day, the Minister is accountable and responsible. I accept that, and will certainly account for what has happened here. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Brendan Bell on Question 282-15(4): Contract Administration And Accountability
In the Legislative Assembly on October 26th, 2005. See this statement in context.
Return To Question 282-15(4): Contract Administration And Accountability
Question 282-15(4): Contract Administration And Accountability
Item 6: Oral Questions
October 25th, 2005
Page 569
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