44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 16, 2024 10:00AM
- Feb/16/24 11:31:39 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, it is a little disturbing to hear the Conservative MPs question the integrity of the Auditor General.
The Auditor General has said very clearly over the past few days that she was not only willing and able to work with the RCMP, but she was already doing so and providing the RCMP with all the information it wants.
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- Feb/16/24 11:32:05 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, to be clear, I am not questioning the integrity of the Auditor General. I am questioning the integrity of the government that is hiding these documents from the RCMP. Canadians deserve accountability. Somebody needs to be held to account for the waste of $60 million that went to a shady IT company that had two people working in a basement.
Why have the Liberals not released these documents? Release them now.
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- Feb/16/24 11:32:56 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, we are sure that the opposition member is not also suggesting that the RCMP is incapable of doing its work.
The RCMP and the Auditor General operate at arm's length from the government; they can work very well together without any political or partisan influence.
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- Feb/16/24 11:33:20 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, Canadians are in shock. They paid 750 times more for the ArriveCAN app than planned. The Auditor General is also shocked. She said it is probably some of the worst record-keeping she has ever seen.
After eight years of this incompetent government, ArriveCAN is another example in a long list of abuses. The ArriveCAN app is just like the Prime Minister: It is not worth the cost.
Will he join us in calling on the RCMP to expand its investigation based on the revelations in the Auditor General's report?
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- Feb/16/24 11:33:53 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, there are two points that I believe have already been explained well, yet are important to reiterate.
Just a few months ago, Canada experienced the worst pandemic in a century, the worst economic crisis since the 1930s. The public service had to respond quickly and effectively to save the lives of thousands of Canadians; costs were in the billions of dollars per week.
Unfortunately, this work was not done by the book. As the Auditor General stated on Monday, it is unacceptable that people in the public service and at the Canada Border Services Agency in particular failed to do—
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- Feb/16/24 11:34:31 a.m.
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The hon. member for Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis.
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- Feb/16/24 11:34:35 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, the government has to answer for this. Were it not for the Conservatives, Canadians would not have found out anything about the ArriveCAN app scandal. It has been chaos since this government took office eight years ago. This Prime Minister is not worth the cost.
The ArriveCAN scandal involves two men in the basement of a bungalow who received millions of dollars to develop an app that should have cost $80,000. This company received a large share of contracts, many without a bidding process.
It is a free-for-all with the Liberal Party. The Conservative Party wants the RCMP to broaden its investigation in light of the Auditor General's troubling revelations.
Do you have the courage to ask for that?
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- Feb/16/24 11:35:07 a.m.
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I would remind the hon. member that she must address her questions through the Chair and not directly to the government.
The hon. minister.
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- Feb/16/24 11:35:21 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, our colleague is quite right in pointing out the essential work of the Auditor General.
We need the Auditor General to do the kind of investigation that she was able to do over the past few months in co-operation with CBSA officials. She did her work. She tabled her report on Monday. Her findings are shocking and alarming. Her recommendations must be taken into account. Most of her recommendations have already been in place for a few weeks.
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- Feb/16/24 11:35:53 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, the Auditor General's report is an endless chain of scandals.
That an app estimated to cost $80,000 should end up costing at least $60 million is already unacceptable. That the real cost will never be known because of missing documents makes it even more unacceptable. That GC Strategies was in a position to draft the call for proposals itself, to make sure it would win, makes it more unacceptable still.
However, that this two-person company, which delivers no services, has received at least 140 other contracts since 2010 is utterly outrageous.
When will an independent investigation into each of these contracts be launched?
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- Feb/16/24 11:36:31 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, the key word in the Auditor General's report is “documentation”. That documentation was flawed, incomplete, improperly stored and unsharable.
Indeed, it forms the central focus of the Auditor General's findings, and that is why we are continuing to move forward with the work that now needs to be done.
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- Feb/16/24 11:36:55 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, apparently the bookkeeping has been bad since 2010. Maybe this should have been addressed sooner.
The wasteful spending on ArriveCAN continued after the pandemic under the CBSA's new president. At least $12 million more was invested in contracts with consultants, just for ArriveCAN. Clearly there is still a complete lack of accountability at the CBSA today.
Will the government put the CBSA under third-party management?
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- Feb/16/24 11:37:28 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, I thank our colleague for the question.
Every day, the Canada Border Services Agency plays an essential role in facilitating and allowing the flow of hundreds of thousands of travellers and billions of dollars in goods.
This was even more important during the pandemic, when Canadians were relying on the arrival of vital drugs, personal protective equipment, and equipment parts that were absolutely essential for businesses, including in the opposition member's riding.
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- Feb/16/24 11:38:02 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, the arrive scam app is just like the Prime Minister, not worth the cost and not worth the corruption.
The RCMP is investigating this $80,000 app which cost more than $60 million. The Auditor General said it will take a court order for the RCMP to get access to all the documents in this Liberal corruption.
Will the Prime Minister stop his cover-up, not make the police seek a court order, and hand over all the documents, voluntarily, to the police and to Parliament, so Canadians can learn the truth?
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- Feb/16/24 11:38:37 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, the member is correct when he points to the ability and expertise of the RCMP, the Auditor General and other institutions to work together. They know how to do their jobs.
They do not need political processes that politicians use to do their jobs. The RCMP, the Auditor General and all of the other independent organizations on which Canadians have the fortune to depend know what to do.
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- Feb/16/24 11:39:06 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, the institution that is covering up is that Liberal cabinet and that Liberal minister. If the Prime Minister has nothing to hide, why does the RCMP need a court order? Release the documents voluntarily. A government with nothing to hide would produce these documents for the police without a court order. The arrive scam app is not worth the cost and the Prime Minister is not worth the corruption.
Will the Prime Minister end this cover-up, release all the arrive scam documents voluntarily, stop the cover-up and turn it over to the police and Parliament, so Canadians can get the truth?
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- Feb/16/24 11:39:46 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, the member points to the work of the Auditor General. She has already said in public that she is not only able but very willing to work with the RCMP and any other institution in the government that would like to use her important findings on Monday. The member may want to speak to the Auditor General to understand how she does that. That is for him to decide, but we on this side of the House have full confidence in the ability of the Auditor General.
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- Feb/16/24 11:40:21 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, the revelations in the Auditor General's report on the arrive scam app are shocking, and after eight years of this NDP-Liberal government, waste is at an all-time high. Canadians know that, just like the arrive scam app, the Prime Minister is not worth the cost and he is not worth the corruption. Unfortunately, the Auditor General was only able to scratch the surface of this costly corruption. Evidence is being withheld and maybe even destroyed.
It is time to send in the police.
When will the Prime Minister stop the cover-up and call for a complete investigation into the arrive scam fiasco?
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- Feb/16/24 11:40:58 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, again, I think no one in this House should attempt to display a lack of confidence in the ability of the Auditor General to do her job. I am sure we are all united in supporting the importance and the value of what she does. She needs no advice on the part of politicians. She has full expertise. If they want to provide her with their particular advice, they know how to reach out to her. Otherwise, we can help them connect to her.
Mr. Rick Perkins: Oh, oh!
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- Feb/16/24 11:41:26 a.m.
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I will remind the hon. member for South Shore—St. Margarets that he had an opportunity to ask questions. If he has other questions to ask, he should wait until the appropriate time and not interrupt the minister.
The hon. member for Sturgeon River—Parkland has the floor.
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