Federal auditors gave over $55,000 to lobbyist with deep Liberal connections

The federal auditors sent the lobbyist these documents so that she could "help us carry out our work."

Susan Smith, who has held numerous staffing positions in former Liberal governments, received 5 audits in 2019. This was months before the taxpayers and other Canadian politicians had access to them.

Smith currently is the co-founder of a lobbying firm that received over $55 thousand in federal contracts from the Office of the Auditor-General. This office is supposed to be a non-partisan position.

On top of this, auditors gave Smith extensive access so that she could take notes and prepare the office for media interviews. "Susan Smith, a veteran public affairs and communications practitioner, would be the trainer for these sessions," said one memo.

During a committee, the auditor general testified that the "contract in question is one given to media coaches that prepare myself and other senior officials in my office as we prepare for releasing and tabling reports."

Top Conservative Pierre Poilievre expressed discontent with Smith's appointment. "It is not common for independent, non-partisan officers of Parliament to give untendered contracts to partisan lobbyists," he said.