A billion-dollar typo on the province’s website may have left some Manitobans wondering how deep the government’s pockets — or problems — go.
On Sept. 15, the government’s website publicly disclosed a $1,401,485,806.65-contract to a local law firm from the Families Department for legal services. The typo was not caught or corrected for weeks.
A government spokesperson said Tuesday a clerical error had been made and the actual amount of the contract, dated Aug. 22, was close to $109,000.
The government website, where contracts valued at more than $10,000 or more are publicly disclosed, listed the rationale for the contract being awarded and not tendered as: “provider possesses specific and/or unique knowledge and/or abilities.”
The firm listed as the vendor was surprised to learn about the 10-figure payout.
A clerical error on the Manitoba government’s website shows a $1,401,485,806.65-contract awarded to a local law firm from the Families Department for legal services. The typo was not caught or corrected for weeks.
“We’re going to have quite a year-end party this year,” quipped Stuart Blake of Fillmore Riley LLP in a voicemail message. He said it was “obviously” an error and declined to comment further.
Neither the families minister nor the finance minister were made available Wednesday to explain how the error occurred, why it wasn’t caught for more than three weeks or corrected until a day after the Free Press pointed it out.
“A clerical error was made in posting the finalized contract and was corrected within 24 hours of being identified,” a ministerial statement said Wednesday. “The correct contract value is $109,275.”
During question period Wednesday, interim Progressive Conservative Leader Wayne Ewasko asked Premier Wab Kinew to explain the “very expensive oddity.” The premier dodged the question and instead asked about media reports concerning PC election campaign expenses.
“We’re going to have quite a year-end party this year.”–Stuart Blake of Fillmore Riley LLP
Ewasko said the posted $1.4-billion expense is more than the combined budget for several government departments. If it was a clerical or rounding error, “what other rounding errors are contained in the government’s finances?”
The premier mocked the question.
“It might be that the member opposite is about to blow the lid off of this whole vast conspiracy and tomorrow he’ll be back here explaining why I’m responsible for the chemtrails all over Manitoba skies, or it could be that the member opposite is part of a financially and morally bankrupt PC party.”
Kinew continued “nobody on that side has won an election in 30 years without Brian Pallister.”
If someone had posted a billion-dollar spending error on Pallister’s watch, “heads would’ve rolled,” said the deputy chief of staff to the former premier.
“What makes it worse is when it’s not immediately corrected. It’s just embarrassing for the government — the number is so patently ridiculous that it’s hard to believe nobody in the chain of command said ‘are you sure this is right?’ ”–Deveryn Ross
“Someone would’ve had a bad day for this happening,” Deveryn Ross said after spotting the $1.4-billion contract he called a “silly but serious” mistake.
“Where is the oversight in this, that this could be allowed to happen and still be out there?” he said, noting the online post hadn’t been corrected by midday Wednesday.
“What makes it worse is when it’s not immediately corrected. It’s just embarrassing for the government — the number is so patently ridiculous that it’s hard to believe nobody in the chain of command said ‘are you sure this is right?’
“It goes to the credibility of all the information that’s being disclosed. If this is wrong, what else is wrong?”
A veteran observer of Manitoba politics said human error has always happened in government but now, with so much information posted online and more transparency, the revelation of more errors is to be expected.
“I do not recall any incident comparable to this in terms of a bizarre, whopping big number being put on the public record,” University of Manitoba political studies professor emeritus Paul Thomas said.
He wondered if the error had anything to do with public-sector staffing shortages and civil servants being stretched thin.
The NDP’s reputation won’t be impacted by “24 hours of embarrassment over a mistaken posting,” the professor said.
“The Kinew government has done an overall good job of managing its communications agenda by defusing controversies at an early stage, removing the opportunity for the opposition to conduct a sustained campaign criticizing mistakes.”
— with files from Kevin Rollason
carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca
Carol Sanders
Legislature reporter
Carol Sanders is a reporter at the Free Press legislature bureau. The former general assignment reporter and copy editor joined the paper in 1997. Read more about Carol.
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