News that's guaranteed to cheer the hearts of a small number of B.C. companies is word that they've been added to a list of pre-qualified suppliers to the B.C. government.
The lists are intended to offer all the appearances of open and transparent procurement. They can be anything but.
It's one way to get around the bad optics of sole-sourcing too many public contracts.
You can imagine the minister's briefing note: “We chose from a long list of well-qualified firms who were put through a rigorous vetting process by the ministry.”