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.
Liberal
Majid Jowhari Liberal Richmond Hill, ON
You've been doing this since 2015. Can you give me the top three departments that you worked with?
Partner, GC Strategies
They were DND, Agriculture Canada and Global Affairs.
Liberal
Majid Jowhari Liberal Richmond Hill, ON
Okay.
Did Mr. Firth, at any time, work on any of those accounts?
Liberal
Majid Jowhari Liberal Richmond Hill, ON
Did you have documentation safeguarding as part of the work you were doing in those three departments?
Partner, GC Strategies
No. We've never had document safeguarding in our history.
Liberal
Majid Jowhari Liberal Richmond Hill, ON
You've never had document safeguarding in your history, regardless of the department you were working with. You are saying it was because PSPC did not request it of you guys, or you did not understand that it was a requirement. Am I right to understand that?
Liberal
Majid Jowhari Liberal Richmond Hill, ON
You don't have any knowledge of PSPC's processes, yet you signed contracts 40% of the time with three different departments. I find it very hard to believe, sir, that you don't understand the PSPC process regarding the safeguarding of documents or anything else while you're signing 40% of your contracts.
I'll be getting another turn and I'll be following along those lines.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kelly McCauley
Thanks, Mr. Jowhari.
Mrs. Block, please go ahead for five minutes.
Conservative
Kelly Block Conservative Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK
Thank you, Chair.
Mr. Anthony, the Auditor General found that GC Strategies was involved in the development of a contract from the Government of Canada valued at $25 million. Your firm received that in May 2022.
Now, I know you've tried to build a bit of a firewall between your contracts and Mr. Firth's contracts by saying that they are separate, but it is my understanding that in your role as the chief security officer, you provide him with support when it comes to security assessments. Is that correct?
Conservative
Conservative
Kelly Block Conservative Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK
In setting the criteria for the contracts that GC Strategies ultimately won, did you provide any advice to Mr. Firth on the security requirements for that contract?
Conservative
Kelly Block Conservative Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK
Why did you not? If that's your role at GC Strategies, why would you not have provided him with any advice on that?
Conservative
Kelly Block Conservative Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK
Do you only provide advice when you're asked? It's not a given that in your role as the chief security officer, you would be providing that support?
Conservative
Kelly Block Conservative Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK
As a fifty-fifty partner, do you receive 50% of the commission that is earned on Mr. Firth's contracts?
Conservative
Kelly Block Conservative Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK
You share in the profits but not in providing advice when it's actually your job to do so. Okay. I get that, I guess, or maybe I don't.
In your role, you would identify resources and then notify Mr. Firth about the eligibility of the subcontractors. Is that correct?
Conservative
Kelly Block Conservative Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK
Would Mr. Firth ever ask you to change anything?