SoVote

Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 301

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
April 17, 2024 02:00PM
Context: House Hansard - 301 - Apr/17/24
Mr. Kristian Firth
  • Apr/17/24 4:58:51 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I probably cannot remember them all, but I will do the best I can. Sorry, can I get a qualification for that question, please?
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The Speaker
  • Apr/17/24 4:59:05 p.m.
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I am not certain what you are asking me, Mr. Firth.
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Mr. Kristian Firth
  • Apr/17/24 4:59:16 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I just want to ask for a qualification. Should I be speaking about my companies or the companies that we have subcontracted work through?
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Mr. Blake Desjarlais
  • Apr/17/24 4:59:25 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am inquiring as to the names of the companies that he has been the owner or co-owner of since 2011, while he has been doing business with the Government of Canada.
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Mr. Kristian Firth
  • Apr/17/24 4:59:40 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the only IT staffing firm I have had is GC Strategies, as an owner. We were not part of Coredal.
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Mr. Blake Desjarlais
  • Apr/17/24 4:59:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, does Mr. Firth believe that the work his company, GC Strategies, has done in relation to ArriveCAN was good money for Canadians' dollars?
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Mr. Kristian Firth
  • Apr/17/24 5:00:02 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I believe that the team we put forward, again, as attested to by AWS, Microsoft and BDO, were the only ones at that point that had the capacity to build this application, so I would say yes.
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Mr. Blake Desjarlais
  • Apr/17/24 5:00:16 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Mr. Firth, in the past, has spoken about his worries or concerns, or even at times perceived rejection, of the Auditor General's report, in particular to this fact as well in regard to value for money. What does Mr. Firth have to say in relation to the Auditor General's report on value for money?
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Mr. Kristian Firth
  • Apr/17/24 5:00:39 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am not questioning the report. Again, it is the inputs that were given to the report. There is a big delta between the $19.1 million the AG's report claimed that we used to build the application versus the $11 million, but because of the financial system and the tagging for other projects associated, because these contracts were pandemic response contracts and were not specific to the ArriveCAN app, I can understand why there is the discrepancy.
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Mr. Blake Desjarlais
  • Apr/17/24 5:01:09 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians know that when our public service does the job, they are doing it knowing the most important piece to that is the outcome for Canadians and making sure that the service is truly up to the standard that Canadians expect. When we outsource that work, when we take that job away from the public sector and when we take it away from those who work for the good of our country, it comes with a price. It comes with commission, and it comes with profit by the private sector in this particular instance. How much money did Mr. Firth take home from these contracts?
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Mr. Kristian Firth
  • Apr/17/24 5:01:42 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, again, I am not being elusive, but I do not have that exact number in front of me. I'm sorry.
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Mr. Blake Desjarlais
  • Apr/17/24 5:01:51 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it would be difficult to not be able to supply such a number when, as a matter of fact, the company would be responsible for issuing invoices or issuing the amount owed to them. It would also be up to an owner of a company to administer and to have paperwork for their employees, including themselves, if they are paid. Does Mr. Firth suggest that he has not paid himself or that he has not kept track of payments to himself? If not, how can we, in this chamber, get this information, and would he supply it in writing later?
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Mr. Kristian Firth
  • Apr/17/24 5:02:31 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I can answer that question, but I just do not have the answer in front of me right now. I was not given a set of questions that would be coming at me in the next hour and 20 minutes. I'm sorry.
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The Speaker
  • Apr/17/24 5:02:51 p.m.
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Mr. Firth, there was a second part to that question.
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Mr. Kristian Firth
  • Apr/17/24 5:02:51 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, can I ask the hon. member to repeat it please?
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The Speaker
  • Apr/17/24 5:02:57 p.m.
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The clock is stopped. The hon. member for Edmonton Griesbach.
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Mr. Blake Desjarlais
  • Apr/17/24 5:03:00 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, would Mr. Firth supply the amount he took home from government contracts?
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Mr. Kristian Firth
  • Apr/17/24 5:03:05 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I think that information has been provided to the committee.
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Mr. Blake Desjarlais
  • Apr/17/24 5:03:08 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Mr. Firth and his partner, Mr. Anthony, have both made accusations that the Auditor General's report is false and that she is lying. He gave clarity to my question in relation to some of the numbers supplied. In addition to those numbers that were supplied, what other areas of that report would Mr. Firth contest?
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Mr. Kristian Firth
  • Apr/17/24 5:03:27 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, off the top of my head, the numbers one is the one that has caused the most media attention, so that would be the one I would be more focused on to make sure it was corrected.
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