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 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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Mr. Blake Desjarlais
  • Apr/17/24 5:03:52 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Office of the Procurement Ombud said that “overly restrictive”, “mandatory [solicitation] criteria...favoured [GC Strategies] for “a $25-million contract”. GC Strategies had been involved in the development of their requirements, which were included by the CBSA in a request for proposal for a contract ultimately won by Mr. Firth. To be clear, Mr. Firth's company, GC Strategies, by evidence of the ombudsman, participated in the recommendations set out in a request for proposal to which Mr. Firth's company applied and was awarded a contract. Does Mr. Firth understand that the Auditor General concluded in that investigation that there was no evidence to the effect that GC Strategies supplied a proposal even to get this contract? Can Mr. Firth please explain how the information was requested, who from the CBSA requested the information related to a contract like the one they were a recipient of, and what aspects of that proposal did Mr. Firth supply for requirement?
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Mr. Kristian Firth
  • Apr/17/24 5:05:01 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like a quick clarification on the question. The Auditor General identified no proposal for the national security exemption ones, not the one we are discussing right now.
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Mr. Blake Desjarlais
  • Apr/17/24 5:05:16 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, in what capacity was Mr. Firth involved in developing and contributing to the CBSA requirements for the ArriveCAN contract?
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Mr. Kristian Firth
  • Apr/17/24 5:05:25 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have previously mentioned there were 220 requirements in that RFP. There were three suggestions we put forward, understanding that they would need to know the technology stack and the types of resources they would need. From that point onward, that was everything. The 220 other requirements were all public information that could be obtained through Buyandsell.gc.ca or through any other RFP that has hit the street. On top of that as well, it was PSPC that still deemed 40 qualified vendors who were responding to this RFP.
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Mr. Blake Desjarlais
  • Apr/17/24 5:06:00 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, can Mr. Firth please explain the process, in particular the timeline of events, that enabled Mr. Firth's contribution to that RFP?
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Mr. Kristian Firth
  • Apr/17/24 5:06:15 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I was approached in May 2021, I believe, for suggestions and understanding of what kind of requirements they would need for a team to continue the work, and I believe the contract was awarded a year later. There was no conversation between those.
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Mr. Blake Desjarlais
  • Apr/17/24 5:06:36 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, does Mr. Firth believe that to be a conflict of interest?
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Mr. Kristian Firth
  • Apr/17/24 5:06:42 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I do not. Again, these were three suggestions of 220 that went through multiple levels and went through multiple departments before being awarded and evaluated.
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The Speaker
  • Apr/17/24 5:06:58 p.m.
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This concludes the second round of questioning. Mr. Firth, would you like a pause before the House proceeds to the next round of questions?
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Mr. Kristian Firth
  • Apr/17/24 5:07:05 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, yes, please.
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The Speaker
  • Apr/17/24 5:07:09 p.m.
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The sitting is suspended to the call of the Chair.
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Mr. Garnett Genuis (Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, CPC)
  • Apr/17/24 5:18:07 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Mr. Firth said today that he was completely unaware of connections between Vaughn Brennan and senior Liberal staffer Jeremy Broadhurst and was completely unaware of connections to senior Liberals, but Mr. Firth received a text on February 1, 2021, that was subsequently reported in The Globe and Mail, which specifically described the involvement of the Deputy Prime Minister's office, where Broadhurst was chief of staff. Does Mr. Firth want to correct his earlier response?
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Mr. Kristian Firth (Partner)
  • Apr/17/24 5:18:30 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have no knowledge, and I cannot remember sending that text message.
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Mr. Garnett Genuis
  • Apr/17/24 5:18:37 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Mr. Firth received a text message on February 1, 2021. It was reported in The Globe and Mail. That report in The Globe and Mail, along with other information, sparked subsequent hearings at the government operations committee. Is Mr. Firth claiming he did not read that article or the text?
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