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.
11:40 a.m.
Partner, GC Strategies
I'm not sure. I believe that we hired someone to build our website for us in 2015.
11:40 a.m.
Partner, GC Strategies
I don't have that information in front of me right now.
11:40 a.m.
Conservative
11:40 a.m.
Conservative
Larry Brock Conservative Brantford—Brant, ON
Okay.
In addition to the answers to Mr. Barrett's questions to you, you will also provide to me the names of all the government employees who are referenced on your website, boasting about your particular company. I'm going to give you seven days to do this, sir. You will do that because you don't have the answer as to who they are. However, in seven days, you'll provide me with that information, won't you?
11:40 a.m.
Conservative
11:40 a.m.
Liberal
Parm Bains Liberal Steveston—Richmond East, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Yesterday Mr. Firth mentioned that he began working on government contracts within another company in 2007. You indicated that you met him while working within another company, but you said that you worked there up until 2010. When did you begin?
11:40 a.m.
Liberal
11:40 a.m.
Liberal
Parm Bains Liberal Steveston—Richmond East, BC
Over this time, you ultimately developed relationships with public officials who also had been working there for quite some time.
At any time, did you meet with Mr. MacDonald?
11:40 a.m.
Liberal
Parm Bains Liberal Steveston—Richmond East, BC
In previous questions today, you said that your only role was to verify subcontractors that were working.... What's that process? What did you do to verify those subcontractors?
11:40 a.m.
Partner, GC Strategies
For the security process, once we identify a resource need, I'll make sure that they're eligible to get a government security clearance. They have to get their fingerprints taken. They need a document security number, which is a 25-digit code that can be done by the Commissionaires. Any fingerprinting is with the RCMP.
Once they have that and the number is verified, they send it to me. They give me their personal information, and I enter it into the OLISS portal. Then it's resent to the resource. The resource completes their family history. It gets sent back to me. I review it to make sure that everything is processed, and then I submit it.
11:45 a.m.
Liberal
Parm Bains Liberal Steveston—Richmond East, BC
You did your work through a portal. You didn't exchange any of this information with any public officials. You indicated that you were removed from having dealings with specific people; you were strictly operating in this in your own—
11:45 a.m.
Partner, GC Strategies
Yes. In that capacity, I'm only dealing with the OLISS portal. I have no contact with any officials.
11:45 a.m.
Liberal
Parm Bains Liberal Steveston—Richmond East, BC
In your role to verify and do these security processes, at any time do you verify the people working and what their qualifications are?
We've heard from Mr. Firth himself, who personally stated that he inflated information on résumés because he had a strong understanding over the years of what requirements needed to be met in order to gain certain contracts. It was almost like a skill developed over time to obtain government contracts. He knew how to do that and knew what keywords, etc., needed to be placed into résumés. He indicated in prior testimony that this is something he did. He admitted to it.
Are you aware of that, and was it your job to verify things of that nature or whether people's skills were real or not during these security processes?
11:45 a.m.
Partner, GC Strategies
That is not a part of the security process. The security process is basically an individual's personal history and family history.
11:45 a.m.
Liberal
Parm Bains Liberal Steveston—Richmond East, BC
Would it have been in an individual's personal history what skill set they have and what role they would be playing within government?
11:45 a.m.
Partner, GC Strategies
It would not have been within the PSPC government security clearance process.
