Just a business decision? Debarment in public procurement in Canada and the United States

Abstract

The Canadian government is considering changes to its Integrity and Suspension Policy, particularly the rules governing debarment and when an individual or corporation can be precluded from public contracting due to misconduct. The reforms would bring Canada’s policy closer to that of the US. This article compares federal debarment policies in Canada and the US and examines the consequences of these distinct policies by considering their role in anti‐foreign bribery enforcement. This discussion reveals a disjuncture between Canada’s policy goals and practice, which suggests that the proposed reforms to Canada’s debarment policy are not as significant as they first appear.