No.
Evidence of meeting #109 for Government Operations and Estimates in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was company.
A video is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #109 for Government Operations and Estimates in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was company.
A video is available from Parliament.
2:35 p.m.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
You're nonetheless prepared to continue to defend him in spite of everything you've heard today.
2:35 p.m.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Do you intend to read the Auditor General's report after the meeting is over?
2:35 p.m.
Partner, GC Strategies
The damage has already been done for me. It does not affect me.
2:35 p.m.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Sir, you began your opening statement by talking about how much it affects you. We've been over this ground before.
Mr. Anthony, one of my colleagues had been asking you about meetings with Mr. Firth. Did you discuss your testimony today with Mr. Firth?
2:35 p.m.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Did he participate in any of your preparatory activities?
2:35 p.m.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Okay.
You did say—and the record will show—that in response to questions from Mr. Bachrach, you said you were.... In terms of time spent on responding to the suspension, you said you hadn't discussed it because you were focused “on these committee meetings”. Did you not say that?
2:35 p.m.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Okay. You've just admitted to me that in your discussions with Mr. Firth, you were focused “on these committee meetings”. At the same time, 30 seconds previously—
2:35 p.m.
Conservative
2:35 p.m.
Partner, GC Strategies
I had no discussions with Mr. Firth about this committee meeting.
When Mr. Bachrach—
2:35 p.m.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
But you were nonetheless focused on the committee meetings in your discussions with him.
2:35 p.m.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Sir, I think the record will show that you said many things that you didn't say, and I hope you do actually read the Auditor General's report, which you no doubt have already read.
Mr. Chair, in light of the previous discussions about security and privacy issues raised by Mr. Anthony's testimony, I'd now like to move a motion.
The motion is:
That the Chair report to the House that in light of the evidence of Darren Anthony, Chief Security Officer for GC Strategies, that he did not vet or review ArriveCAN subcontracts awarded by GC Strategies, and given that the Auditor General found “some resources that were involved in the security assessments were not identified in the task authorizations and did not have security clearance” as submitted by GC Strategies, and that the Canada Border Services Agency “was unable to provide any supporting documentation to confirm that work related to the security assessments were performed by 4 of the 5 resources listed”, the Committee calls upon the Privacy Commissioner to conduct an investigation of the ArriveCAN app, including the work of all contractors and subcontractors, and determine whether the privacy and personal information of Canadians was adequately protected, with a view to presenting a special report to Parliament.
That motion has been sent, and I believe it has been distributed. I think it's fairly self-explanatory, Chair.
The testimony today raises—
2:35 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kelly McCauley
Let me interrupt you quickly. You're saying It has been sent to everyone's P9s in both languages.
Go ahead, then, Mr. Genuis.
2:35 p.m.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Thank you, Chair.
I think it's clear from the testimony today that the person responsible for security at GC Strategies was not attending to and is not able to answer questions about key measures that should have been in place to protect the privacy and security of Canadians. Therefore, I believe this motion will and should receive the quick support of this committee, and we can ask the Privacy Commissioner to undertake this important work.
There have been a number of different investigations in relation to the ArriveCAN app, of course, but this is a unique element: the implications for the privacy and security of Canadians' data. Many Canadians put their personal data into this app, expecting that it would be protected, and I think we now need to ask the Privacy Commissioner to investigate the serious problems we've heard about today.
2:40 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kelly McCauley
Thank you.
I assume everyone has received the motion.
I have Mr. Sousa and then Mr. Jowhari.
2:40 p.m.
Liberal
Charles Sousa Liberal Mississauga—Lakeshore, ON
Mr. Chair, I'd ask for a 10-minute suspension to review this, please.
2:40 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kelly McCauley
Mr. Jowhari, was that the same issue for you, or did you wish to speak on this?