Parliament returns with Liberals facing pointed questions about ethics, health care

Parliament is back after a six-week break and the Liberal government is facing aggressive questions from the opposition bench about a number of ethical missteps and the sorry state of Canada's health-care system — two issues that are poised to dominate this spring sitting.

On the ethics front, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre called on the Liberal government to report the amount of money it has funnelled to McKinsey, a consulting firm that has received tens of millions of dollars in government contracts over the past seven years.

The U.S.-based McKinsey, which has faced criticism over its past role in the opioid crisis, was once run by Dominic Barton, the man tapped by Trudeau to be Canada's ambassador to China.

WATCH | Poilievre questions Trudeau about McKinsey contracts

McKinsey has provided advice to the federal bureaucracy on immigration issues, among other matters. Poilievre said it's not clear the government got good value for its money.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is grappling with a backlog of some 2.2 million cases as it works to review applications.

While many Canadians are struggling with a shaky economy and sky-high inflation, Poilievre said "the people Trudeau surrounds himself with — like the high-priced consultants at McKinsey — are doing better than ever."

Trudeau ducked questions about McKinsey in question period Monday, saying his government is focused on the middle class while the Conservatives are pushing "cuts and austerity and not being there for Canadians."

"He's always had difficulty defining what the middle class is," Poilievre quipped.

Procurement Minister Helena Jazceck later told the Commons that the government is doing a "full review" of the McKinsey contracts to ensure they align with all Treasury Board policies and directives.

Barton also has been called to appear before a parliamentary committee reviewing the increase in federal outsourcing to the New York-based consulting giant.

A researcher testifying before that committee Monday said the focus on McKinsey is a distraction. Amanda Clarke, an associate professor of public administration at Carleton University, said the study should focus on the public service's reliance on consulting firms overall.

"The focus on outsourcing and contracting in the federal government is the broad enough umbrella to get at these issues and any given firm," Clarke said.

International Trade Minister Mary Ng was also in the hot seat Monday. The ethics commissioner concluded she breached Canada's conflict of interest rules when her office signed a contract with Ng's friend, Liberal lobbyist and CBC's Power & Politics pundit Amanda Alvaro.