Liberal Health Minister Mark Holland’s Public Health Agency has failed an internal audit on conflicts of interest, with auditors finding management operated on a feeble “honour system.”Holland’s agency’s conflict of interest protocol lacks accountability and runs on a loose system that asks staff to disclose unethical contracting without any “clear reporting mechanism for employees to report other employees’ conflicts,” according to Blacklock’s Reporter. “The agency has become the subject of public scrutiny,” wrote auditors. Yet it asked managers to self-report conflicts of interest with little checking, they said.“The conflict of interest declaration process is founded on an honour based system,” said the Audit of Conflict of Interest report. “Being aware of and understanding all these documents requires a significant amount of time for review and to keep up to date on these obligations.”“Employees are only required to submit a conflict of interest declaration form if they self-identify a potential, actual or apparent conflict situation regardless of their position, level or responsibility,” said the report. “There is no periodic mandatory review of conflict obligations or re-declarations.”.ARRIVECAN SCANDAL: Health Canada claimed customs papers contaminated with COVID.The honour system appeared haphazard, wrote auditors. “There is no monitoring or follow-up,” they said.“There is no clear reporting mechanism for employees to report other employees’ conflicts.”“There is no process in place to ensure all employees have taken mandatory training,” said the report. Training records showed more than a quarter of staff, 26%, had not attended training courses.“A conflict of interest could call into question decision making processes and undermine public trust,” wrote auditors.“While it may not always be possible to avoid all situations that could lead to a conflict, it is important to always take measures to increase transparency.”.Health Canada confirms Pfizer ‘chose not to’ inform them about DNA in COVID jabs.The internal audit followed a 2023 report that found irregularities were commonplace in contracting across the entire Department of Health. Following the pandemic it issued 17,000 contracts worth $22 billion. A random check of 40 contracts found more than a tenth failed to comply with regulations.Irregularities identified by Procurement Ombudsman Alexander Jeglic included missing paperwork, “favouritism,” “poorly defined criteria” and lack of records proving contract approvals were “fair, open and transparent.”In numerous cases it was evident the health department “cannot demonstrate it followed the proper procurement protocols,” Jeglic wrote in his review of Health Canada.Opposition MPs since the pandemic have sought a judicial inquiry into management of COVID-19 including federal contracting.“Companies with Liberal-friendly lobbyists or close connections to the prime minister or his inner circle received preferential treatment in the awarding of contracts,” then-Opposition Leader Erin O’Toole told reporters in 2021.“When the pandemic is over we need answers,” said O’Toole.“We need to know what worked and what didn’t. We need complete transparency and accountability.”.Health department finds Canadians ‘frightened’ over deteriorated health care system .Due to a high level of spam content being posted in our comment section below, all comments undergo manual approval by a staff member during regular business hours (Monday - Friday). Your patience is appreciated.
