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In an email, a senior procurement clerk warned that, “After-the-fact and verbal contracting pose unnecessary risks for the Crown and should be avoided.”

Department officials agreed to pay the bill but told Oliver’s staff they needed to sign a document acknowledging “that the procurement activity was inappropriately actioned.”

Forestell explained that the “Quick turn-around time and the Minister is comfortable with the style and tone of this speechwriter.”

Giorno held the top advisory job in the Prime Minister’s Office between 2008 and 2011, a role he also played in the 1990s for Ontario Premier Mike Harris. He was also co-chair, along with top Tory strategist Jenni Byrne, of the Conservatives’ 2011 election campaign.

He now practices law with Fasken Martineau. Last year, the Toronto Star reported that Faskens had been retained by the Conservative Party of Canada as a legal advisor. The firm was also asking on behalf of Giorno’s successor as chief of staff in the PMO, Nigel Wright, in relation the scandal over Sen. Mike Duffy’s expenses.

The actual text of the speeches, delivered on March 6 and March 30, is unknown and was not included in the documents requested by the Liberals. Emails show that the department used an electronic procurement system to process the contract in the last two days of the 2012-13 fiscal year.

Forestell is now director of government relations for Barrick Gold Corporation, titularly the top lobbying job at the company. Oliver became finance minister following the resignation of Jim Flaherty.

During question period Wednesday, Liberal MP David McGuinty asked Oliver if he ever received the speeches.

The Prime Minister’s Parliamentary Secretary, Paul Calandra, said that the government follows Treasury Board rules and deflected the question by referring to the 2012 controversy over Liberal leader Justin Trudeau’s paid speaking events.