Morning Update: Indigenous contracting program went years with no ‘after-the-fact’ audits despite calls for more oversight

News Snapshot:

Good morning, Despite calls for increased oversight, the federal government has gone years without launching an after-the-fact audit of any of the companies that benefit from an Indigenous procurement program, according to new information obtained by The Globe and Mail. Since 2016, Indigenous Services Canada has approved four such audits under the program and all of those were launched within the past two years amid heightened scrutiny of federal procurement practices. The value of government contracts awarded under the program has risen sharply to $862-million in the 2022-23 fiscal year, up from $170-million five years prior. Ottawa has also said...