Federal audited financial statements released Friday show the government spent almost $19.2 billion on external professional and special services in 2025-26.
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The federal government spent almost $19.2 billion on external professional and special services in 2025-26, according to audited financial statements released Friday.
The amount was nearly $19.2 billion and close to the roughly $19.5 billion spent the year before, the statements show.
Among the organizations contracted by the government last year were Bell Canada, KPMG, Microsoft Canada Inc. and the City of Toronto.
The spending figures come despite a promise by the Liberals to reduce reliance on outside consultants, after years of criticism over government use of external consulting.
In its budget released last week, the federal government said it had already taken steps to reduce spending on external management and other consulting services by 20 per cent, aiming for annual savings of $900 million by 2028-29.
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