Treasury Board President Anita Anand has issued a new directive urging federal executives to familiarize themselves with the Values And Ethics Code For The Public Sector. Blacklock's Reporter says this directive comes in the wake of her recent testimony, where she claimed to be unaware of irregularities in the ArriveCan project during her tenure as the minister responsible for Government of Canada contracting.“Canadians deserve to know how their hard-earned tax dollars are being spent and that they are being spent prudently,” Anand emphasized in a statement. “To foster public trust, public service leaders must ensure sound procurement and management practices.”Anand's updated Directive On The Management Of Procurement reminds managers to adhere to the Ethics Code "at all times." This directive follows the implementation of the Code after the 2003 sponsorship scandal, which exposed a $100 million fraud in the Department of Public Works and led to the imprisonment of one federal manager and three contractors.The Ethics Code mandates that federal employees must act with integrity and in a manner that withstands public scrutiny, exceeding merely legal compliance. It also prohibits executives from using their positions to gain undue advantages.As Public Works Minister in 2020, Anand oversaw federal contracting, a period when ArriveCan suppliers received lucrative, sole-sourced contracts in violation of existing rules, as noted in multiple audits. Despite describing herself as “an extremely thorough and systematic minister” during her April 18 testimony at the Commons public accounts committee, Anand claimed ignorance of the ArriveCan issues. “It is not my purview to oversee the day to day work of employees,” she stated.Responding to her testimony, Conservative MP Michael Barrett (Leeds-Grenville, Ont.) remarked, “Just because they shuffle the deck chairs on the Titanic every couple of months, you are still responsible.”This latest directive on ethics is also a response to a 2023 Privy Council report highlighting public concerns over corruption and incompetence in the federal government. The Value And Ethics Report to The Clerk Of The Privy Council warned of “decreasing confidence in Canada’s democracy,” emphasizing that “citizens rightfully expect publicly funded institutions to deliver services effectively and efficiently.”The report also pointed to a “perceived lack of accountability or a ‘double standard’ between senior leadership and employees when it comes to compliance and enforcement of the Value And Ethics Code For The Public Sector.”
Treasury Board President Anita Anand has issued a new directive urging federal executives to familiarize themselves with the Values And Ethics Code For The Public Sector. Blacklock's Reporter says this directive comes in the wake of her recent testimony, where she claimed to be unaware of irregularities in the ArriveCan project during her tenure as the minister responsible for Government of Canada contracting.“Canadians deserve to know how their hard-earned tax dollars are being spent and that they are being spent prudently,” Anand emphasized in a statement. “To foster public trust, public service leaders must ensure sound procurement and management practices.”Anand's updated Directive On The Management Of Procurement reminds managers to adhere to the Ethics Code "at all times." This directive follows the implementation of the Code after the 2003 sponsorship scandal, which exposed a $100 million fraud in the Department of Public Works and led to the imprisonment of one federal manager and three contractors.The Ethics Code mandates that federal employees must act with integrity and in a manner that withstands public scrutiny, exceeding merely legal compliance. It also prohibits executives from using their positions to gain undue advantages.As Public Works Minister in 2020, Anand oversaw federal contracting, a period when ArriveCan suppliers received lucrative, sole-sourced contracts in violation of existing rules, as noted in multiple audits. Despite describing herself as “an extremely thorough and systematic minister” during her April 18 testimony at the Commons public accounts committee, Anand claimed ignorance of the ArriveCan issues. “It is not my purview to oversee the day to day work of employees,” she stated.Responding to her testimony, Conservative MP Michael Barrett (Leeds-Grenville, Ont.) remarked, “Just because they shuffle the deck chairs on the Titanic every couple of months, you are still responsible.”This latest directive on ethics is also a response to a 2023 Privy Council report highlighting public concerns over corruption and incompetence in the federal government. The Value And Ethics Report to The Clerk Of The Privy Council warned of “decreasing confidence in Canada’s democracy,” emphasizing that “citizens rightfully expect publicly funded institutions to deliver services effectively and efficiently.”The report also pointed to a “perceived lack of accountability or a ‘double standard’ between senior leadership and employees when it comes to compliance and enforcement of the Value And Ethics Code For The Public Sector.”
