AUDIT: Political Advisor contracts undermine fair procurement

Auditor General Sonia Webster has raised serious concerns over the appointment of ministerial political advisors, citing their involvement as undermining the government’s procurement process.

In her 2024 Audit Report on Major Public Contracts, Webster revealed that political advisors were often hired through petty contracts before their roles were upgraded to more substantial contracts under the guise of “continuation of service.” According to the Auditor General, “There was a noted trend whereby political and politically affiliated consultants were initially hired under the petty contracts regime, after which their assignments were bumped upwards to a waived major contract.”

Webster’s scrutiny of the “Ministerial Political Adviser” position in July 2021 showed that three contracts under the Premier’s Office were converted under this provision. These contracts bypassed the normal public tendering process, raising concerns about transparency and value for money.

Webster argued that this method of contracting undermines the public procurement process by sidestepping the competitive bidding system intended to ensure fairness and accountability in awarding public contracts. “This practice has evolved to facilitate the hiring of individuals or services on major contracts over the long term,” she added, underscoring that such actions undermine the integrity of the public procurement process.