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Context: House Hansard - 275 - Feb/5/24

Ms. Jennifer O'Connell (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs (Cybersecurity), Lib.)

Feb/5/24 3:06:58 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as I have said in this House time and time again, we expect that all contracts to be issued follow the rules and procedures set out. CBSA is conducting audits and internal investigations. The police are being called in when necessary. Let me be very clear: Any reports of wrongdoing will come with consequences. The ArriveCAN app was created to keep Canadians safe at a certain time, and we expect contracts to be issued following the rules.

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Context: House Hansard - 275 - Feb/5/24

Ms. Jennifer O'Connell (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs (Cybersecurity), Lib.)

Feb/5/24 3:08:15 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we have said time and time again that we support the work being done at committee. The minister has instructed the president of CBSA that she should be very clear and open with the committee on the work they are doing. There are initial interim reports. There are more investigations happening. Once again, we put in place the ArriveCAN app to help Canadians during an extraordinary time. We expect contracts to be fulfilled following all the rules and procurement practices.

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Context: House Hansard - 275 - Feb/5/24

Mr. Adam van Koeverden (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and to the Minister of Sport and Physical Activity, Lib.)

Feb/5/24 6:18:34 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the government recognizes the gravity of the recent allegations, and the need to respond transparently and to uphold the highest standards of ethics and accountability. That is precisely why there is currently an ongoing RCMP investigation into the case. I would like to clarify that there are also two separate matters at stake here. It is just not as simple as the member would like to suggest. The first is the ArriveCAN app. I wish to remind the member, the House and all Canadians of the unique circumstances leading to its development. After the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic in March 2020, there was a need to replace the previous labour-intensive, paper-based processes in order to quickly pass information to provinces and territories so they could carry out enforcement activities. At the request of the Public Health Agency of Canada, the CBSA developed and launched a digital app as quickly as possible on an emergency basis during an unprecedented time. ArriveCAN was a fast, secure and easy way to confirm that travellers met all public health requirements when crossing the border. It was a necessary and effective tool to support the government's efforts and reduce the transmission of COVID-19. Simply said, the ArriveCAN app was essential at the time, and it met its intended objectives. This type of technology modernizes our border and ensures the flow of people and goods in a safe, secure manner. Currently, travellers can make their customs and immigration declaration using advanced declaration in the ArriveCAN app before flying in to one of Canada's participating airports. This saves a lot of time, up to 30% for some travellers. This brings me to the current state of affairs and issues surrounding the ongoing examination of ArriveCAN and the procurement practices, which, as we know, are fairly complex. What I can say is that a study is under way at the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates. We look forward to hearing its findings and its recommendations. In addition to that, CBSA and the Public Health Agency of Canada have been engaged with the offices of the Auditor General on a performance audit of ArriveCAN. We await the Auditor General's findings and recommendations and will take all necessary steps to respond appropriately. However, I have been noticing lately, from the Conservatives, attempts to distract from current affairs and issues that are really affecting Canadians. The member opposite prefaced his question by talking about the affordability crisis and how difficult it is for Canadians right now. I would like to point out that I meet with food security experts, food bank representatives, poverty reduction researchers and folks who are committed to finding strategies and ways to support the country's poorest, most vulnerable and lowest-income families. Not one of them has suggested that cutting a carbon tax, or “axing the tax”, as Conservative members continue to parrot in the House of Commons, would have even a marginal impact on affordability. In fact, what they say is that it is actually an affordability measure because the lowest-income families in Canada receive far more back from the carbon price than they pay, because the lowest-income families in Canada do not drive bigger cars and heat bigger homes. We are making the biggest polluters in Canada pay, and a little bit of that money goes back to families so they can support a green transition, pay for groceries and support their families. It is a tax-free benefit that comes out four times a year, but one will never hear the Conservative members acknowledge that there is a Canada carbon rebate. They do not want to talk about how we are actually supporting affordability for Canadian families. They just want to keep saying the exact same lines: “after eight years”, “carbon tax this” and “carbon tax that”. They have not provided the House or Canadians with any reassurance that they have a plan for the future. In fact, all they are really doing is continuing to distract from the reality and to lobby on behalf of the very companies that are making life difficult for so many Canadians, from an affordability perspective. It was revealed this week that the deputy leader of the Conservative Party, the member for Thornhill, is lobbying for Walmart and that the campaign director for the Conservative Party has been lobbying for Loblaws. The Conservative Party does not want to talk about problems in provinces and territories in Canada; it just wants to say the same line over and over again to drive up anxiety, to get Canadians all mad and to blame something simple like a carbon price, which actually sends more money back to families than it costs. The Conservative Party is completely devoid of ideas and suggestions for affordability for Canadians, and it has just stayed on the exact same three or four topics for the last two years.

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