Article content continued

But the dollar value of sole-sourced contracts awarded by the Liberals actually increased. About one-quarter of the value of contracts awarded under Trudeau went to non-competitive deals, compared to 14 per cent during former Prime Minster Stephen Harper’s final year.

The Liberals campaigned on an infrastructure spending bonanza to boost the economy, but, just as importantly, they promised a transparent, modernized procurement system to facilitate it all. More than a year into their term, Canadian companies and workers are still waiting for the promised spending, job creation and system changes to materialize.

The importance of a competitive and efficient procurement system to the economy is no small thing. Public procurement, or the purchase of goods and services by governments and government-owned businesses, accounts for about 12 per cent of the gross domestic product of developed countries.

On Tuesday, the Parliamentary Budget Officer released a report noting the announced infrastructure money isn’t being spent as quickly as the government promised.

“There is a growing risk that money the government originally expected to be spent in 2016-17 will actually generate economic activity in subsequent years,” the report said.

In a statement, Public Services and Procurement Canada noted most of the difference in spending between the current and previous governments comes from three multi-billion-dollar contracts awarded during Harper’s final year, including a new bridge for the St. Lawrence Corridor and new naval ships from Irving Shipbuilding Inc.