MPs ask CBSA ‘32 times’ to identify recipient of ArriveCAN contract
https://www.rebelnews.com/mps_ask_cbsa_32_times_to_identify_recipient_of_arrivecan_contract
Public Works Minister Jean-Yves Duclos declined 32 times to answer who awarded GC Strategies $11.2 million to subcontract IT work on the ArriveCan app.
CBSA Officials refused to tell MPs Tuesday which company they awarded the ArriveCan contract — despite being asked 32 times.
"Nobody wants to take responsibility," said Conservative MP Garnett Genuis on the government operations committee.
In October 2022, GCStrategies received more than $8.9 million to work on the ArriveCan app, a costly pandemic tool that tracked traveler vaccination status.
Coradix and Dalian Enterprises received a combined $4.3 million, while the GC Strategies sum grew to $11.2 million. Each company is now subject to an RCMP investigation following a whistleblower complaint.
As reported extensively by The Globe and Mail, Botler co-founders Ritika Dutt and Amir Morv learned that GC Strategies, Dalian and Coradix collected extensive commissions, used personal information without consent and exaggerated their work experience.
Kristian Firth, managing partner of GC Strategies, told a Parliamentary committee last year that he and his business partner, Darren Anthony hired subcontractors to work on the app. They collected between 30% of contract values or $2.7 million without performing any IT work from their private home office.
Botler, which worked on a pilot project for detecting sexual harassment, said the funding came from a larger $21.2 million contract for “general services” that CBSA also used to outsource work for the $55 million ArriveCan app.
On November 28, Public Works Minister Jean-Yves Duclos declined 32 times to answer who awarded the company the sweetheart contract, reported Blacklock’s Reporter.
"Who is responsible for the decision?" asked Genuis. He replied: "Well I can provide information on what ArriveCan did."
"No that’s not what the question is, Minister," repeated Genuis. "The question is who’s responsible for the decision?"
"Your title is Minister of Public Services and Procurement and you’re telling us you’re not responsible for procurement and you don’t know who is," he continued. "I am left wondering, what is it that you do?"
Conservative MP Larry Brock, bewildered over the contract to GC Strategies, said the two-person company works out of their basement and merely did a simple Google search to find IT professionals.
"Canadians want a straight answer from this government," he said, noting that senior bureaucrats are not being forthwith on the contract.
"Who was responsible?" repeated Brock. "We are there to help," replied Duclos. Continue…