Show audit findings related to SuperNet contracting and payments

Auditor General reports have found the management of Alberta SuperNet contracts and payments to be deficient, highlighting several key issues: Service Alberta did not have effective processes for contract management, performance measurement, or compliance enforcement throughout the original $1 billion SuperNet program.cbc+3​

Notable audit findings include:

• The department failed to ensure consistent interpretation of contract terms, leading to wasted time, increased costs, and a higher risk of non-compliance by vendors.oag+1​

• Oversight was weak—monthly service outage reports did not provide enough detail for the government to identify and resolve specific regional service issues, hindering the ability to hold the contractor (Axia/Bell) accountable for service quality across Alberta.cbc​

• Contracts were allowed to extend for years past original terms due to lack of preparation for competitive alternatives, effectively locking taxpayers into potentially unfavorable deals for additional years.edmontonjournal+1​

• Financial management systems and contract evaluation mechanisms were not robust enough to assure taxpayers received the intended value, increasing risk of further costs and missed targets.zajko+2​

These findings resulted in specific recommendations to strengthen contract oversight, ensure clearer performance reporting, and improve the government’s readiness for renegotiation or competitive tendering in future SuperNet agreements.oag+1​

1. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-auditor-general-supernet-1.4896294
2. https://www.oag.ab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/2018-11-07_-_ES_-_SA-_CMP-_November_2018_Report.pdf
3. https://zajko.ca/2018/11/
4. https://www.oag.ab.ca/reports/service-alberta-pa-nov-2018/
5. https://edmontonjournal.com/news/politics/albertas-new-auditor-general-to-table-first-report
6. https://www.oag.ab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/2018-11-07_-_PA-_SA-_CMP-November_2018_Report_HxS23oN.pdf
7. https://www.oag.ab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/OAG-Results-Report-March-31-2022-web.pdf
8. https://www.oag.ab.ca/reports/report-of-the-auditor-general-november-2022/
9. https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/90c5577c-0d5b-440e-84b7-c7101c902b2f/resource/83aac84b-ed11-40a9-a78c-a3060f38bc7e/download/ataglance-oct2017.pdf
10. https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/corporate/reports/audits/2019-controls-payment-processes.html
11. https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/alberta-ag-reports-child-care-overpayments-ineligible-pandemic-payments
12. https://www.paymentworks.com/2025/03/28/government-vendor-management-platforms-taxpayer-dollars/
13. https://www.oag.ab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/OAG-July-2025-Reports-News-Release.pdf
14. https://opo-boa.gc.ca/praapp-prorev/2009-2010/chptr-2-eng.html
15. https://www.facebook.com/groups/letstalkalbertaindependence/posts/1448775359054002/
16. https://policyoptions.irpp.org/2024/11/alberta-rural-high-speed-internet/
17. https://www.osfi-bsif.gc.ca/en/about-osfi/reports-publications/audit-procurement-contracting
18. https://www.poltext.org/sites/poltext.org/files/rapportsVerificateurGeneralNouveau/AB/ab_vg_2019_1.pdf
19. https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/6fcc9d22-0af9-4099-a571-b44cae036cc3/resource/f85f68aa-3c06-4bdc-9d9d-9c45ce3144c9/download/2016-17-sa-annual-report.pdf
20. https://www.oag.ab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/oag-report-of-the-auditor-general-nov-2021.pdf