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.
11:10 a.m.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Is the Auditor General's report correct or incorrect, in your assessment?
11:10 a.m.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
The Auditor General of Canada is wrong, and you are right. That's your contention today.
11:10 a.m.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
If you had the opportunity to see the testimony of your partner yesterday, you would see why I find that incredibly hard to believe. Frankly, your company's testimony hasn't been credible to our committee.
Last week, government officials announced that files concerning the role and involvement of your company, GC Strategies, in Justin Trudeau's $60-million arrive scam have been sent to the RCMP. You said that your role is as a security expert for the company. Which information do you think was sent to the RCMP? Would it be information about résumés forged by your company, involvement in bait-and-switch procurement, as outlined by the procurement ombudsman, or bid rigging? What's the information that you believe has been forwarded to the RCMP?
11:15 a.m.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Your partner, Mr. Firth, refused to say who provided testimonials on your website 16 months ago and has failed to provide them this morning. Is your testimony this morning that you are also unaware of who provided the testimonials on your website?
11:15 a.m.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
You don't know who the GoC chief information officer was who provided.... There are only six quotes on your website, and you're saying that you don't know who the chief data officer for the public sector was who provided one quote.
11:15 a.m.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
You're saying that you don't know who the chief data officer for Canada was who provided an endorsement of your company on your website.
11:15 a.m.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
You're saying that the vice-president of a major Crown corporation...that this individual is a mystery to you.
11:15 a.m.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
As for the senior executive from the Government of Canada, you don't know who that was.
11:15 a.m.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Although your partner appeared at this committee 16 months ago and was asked that very same question, it didn't raise any curiosity in you, and it never came up in conversation.
Will you say today that you never discussed with your partner that committee appearance and the questions that were asked? Is that your testimony today under oath?
11:15 a.m.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
The question is this: Your partner came here 16 months ago, was asked that question, said that he was going to come back and provide the information to the committee, and appeared before a parliamentary committee. I would say that it didn't go very well.
Is your testimony today that you and he didn't discuss the information that he said he was going to provide back to the committee?
11:15 a.m.
Partner, GC Strategies
We discuss files and contracts generally, but not specifics.
11:15 a.m.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Are the endorsements on your website fake, like the résumés that were provided in order to win government contracts?
11:15 a.m.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
It seems, sir, that this is just part of the scam that's being perpetrated by your company on the Government of Canada and Canadian taxpayers. We'll have more questions for you.
11:15 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kelly McCauley
Thank you, Mr. Barrett.
Mr. Sousa, please go ahead for six minutes, sir.
11:15 a.m.
Liberal
Charles Sousa Liberal Mississauga—Lakeshore, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Anthony, have you been approached by any members of this committee or any other committee before all of this, or by any elected officials? Has anybody approached you or Kristian Firth separately outside of a committee?