Standing Committee on Public Accounts

HOUSE OF COMMONS CHAMBRE DES COMMUNES OTTAWA, CANADA K1A 0A6

Comité permanent des comptes publics

For immediate release

Ottawa, June 28, 2005 -

Today, Mr. John Williams, MP, and Chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Accounts, tabled the Committee’s report on the management of public opinion research in the Government of Canada (19th Report, 38th Parliament, 1st Session).

In her November 2004 Report (Chapter 5), the Auditor General found that public opinion research commissioned by the government sometimes broke the rules by monitoring voting behaviour and party image. The Public Accounts Committee has called on the government to enforce prohibitions against such polling and to cease polling – and releasing the results of polls – during general elections.

The Committee was also deeply concerned about conflicts of interest – real or perceived – in the awarding of contracts and has urged government to provide guidance to its employees on how to recognize and avoid potential conflicts of interest. In keeping with previous reports, the Committee also repeated its demand that public servants who break contracting regulations be subject to penalties up to and including dismissal.