Question Period Note: Recent articles on Ottawa’s plans to join class action opioid suit against McKinsey & Company

Recent media articles have noted that the federal government is planning to join a B.C. class-action lawsuit that accuses McKinsey & Company of engaging in reckless marketing campaigns to boost opioid sales should the class-action move forward. This is in the context of ongoing criticism of McKinsey’s consulting work around the world and ongoing concerns relating to the federal government’s use of consulting firms including McKinsey.

• Public Services and Procurement Canada is committed to open, fair and transparent procurement processes, while obtaining the best possible value for Canadian taxpayers
  • Pursuant to the January 11, 2023 request from the Prime Minister, a review of contracts awarded to McKinsey & Company has been undertaken to examine if contracting processes complied with Treasury Board policy and departmental internal control frameworks. 10 Departments with relevant contracts undertook internal audits, performed by the independent internal audit function of each department, and each produced a final report
  • Based on the report findings and other information, the Treasury Board Secretariat and Public Services and Procurement Canada will propose ways to strengthen procurement policies and practices

If pressed on McKinsey’s status under the Integrity Regime:

• The Government of Canada is committed to safeguarding the integrity of the federal procurement system and mitigating the risk posed by suppliers of concern, and will continue to review and assess ways to do so
• Under the Government of Canada’s Integrity Regime, if a supplier is charged or convicted of one of the offences listed in the Ineligibility and Suspension Policy, the supplier may be suspended or determined to be ineligible to be awarded a contract. A suspension or determination of ineligibility would also be triggered by a foreign offence that is similar to one of the listed offences
• Civil litigation is not a grounds for suspension or debarment under the existing Integrity Regime
• Public Services and Procurement Canada is aware of the adverse information related to McKinsey and Company and its affiliates. The company’s status under the Integrity Regime remains unchanged at this time

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