Evidence of meeting #112 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 cbsa.
A video is available from Parliament.
12:50 p.m.
Vice-President, Comptrollership Branch, Canada Border Services Agency
No. It was sent by me to PSPC and—
12:50 p.m.
Vice-President, Comptrollership Branch, Canada Border Services Agency
It's me. Yes.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
So you signed that letter. I don't understand why you hesitate to say that you signed that letter.
Do you acknowledge that this letter started the fiasco that we're dealing with today? An app that was originally supposed to cost only $80,000 to develop has now cost $60 million, according to the Auditor General.
You say that the invoice amounted to $54 million. If that exemption hadn't been requested, we wouldn't be where we are today.
Isn't that right?
12:50 p.m.
Vice-President, Comptrollership Branch, Canada Border Services Agency
No. The national security exception was requested by PSPC for it to access the powers at the start of the COVID pandemic. The national security exception—
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
You were the one who signed the letter, Mr. Moor. You can talk about PSPC all you like, but it's your signature at the bottom of the letter. In the letter, you ask Ms. Arianne Reza, assistant deputy minister at PSPC, for authorization to move ahead with this exemption.
You say in the letter that you had found a supplier that had already successfully implemented a modern tool. My colleague has already mentioned this passage, and I will not quote it again.
Who was that supplier? You don't seem to know.
12:50 p.m.
Vice-President, Comptrollership Branch, Canada Border Services Agency
I think the supplier was about a commercial...it was not about ArriveCAN.
Mr. Leahy, who's in the commercial and trade branch—
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
Mr. Moor, you signed the letter. You're telling a deputy minister that you have a supplier that has effectively implemented a modern tool in the past. Today, before this committee, you say that you can't tell us who the supplier was.
How do you explain that?
12:50 p.m.
Vice-President, Comptrollership Branch, Canada Border Services Agency
It was an example, but we did not use it.
March 26th, 2024 / 12:50 p.m.
Conservative
Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
You say it's an example, but it's like the examples on the GC Strategies website. Mr. Firth and Mr. Anthony quoted a lot of federal government officials, but couldn't give us names.
You're doing exactly the same thing. You say in the letter that you found a supplier. What supplier was it?
Why are you using it as an example to justify an exemption from the rigorous procurement process? I would point out that this is what led to the scandal surrounding the ArriveCAN app, an app that was supposed to cost $80,000, but ended up costing $60 million.
It's hard to understand. Who, in this government, is responsible for these signatures?
12:50 p.m.
Vice-President, Comptrollership Branch, Canada Border Services Agency
I think if you allow Mr. Leahy to speak, he will give you the details.
12:50 p.m.
Mike Leahy Director General, CARM Project Directorate, Canada Border Services Agency
I have a name. As context, the national security exception applies—
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
I don't want to know about the context, I just want to know the supplier's name.
12:50 p.m.
Director General, CARM Project Directorate, Canada Border Services Agency
It says “xRef, for Transport Canada”, on page—
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
It's on the last page. It says: “We have identified a supplier that has already successfully implemented a modern tool...”.
Who is that supplier?
12:50 p.m.
Director General, CARM Project Directorate, Canada Border Services Agency
It says right next to it “xRef, for Transport Canada”.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
It says it's a cross-reference for Transport Canada.
12:50 p.m.
Director General, CARM Project Directorate, Canada Border Services Agency
Yes, xRef is a system built by Lixar.
12:50 p.m.
Director General, CARM Project Directorate, Canada Border Services Agency
Yes, that's correct.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
Thank you very much.
That's the answer I was looking for. It wasn't complicated.
Mr. Moor, you signed the letter. It surprises me that you can't tell us who that supplier was.
There were 177 updates throughout this entire process. Did anyone raise a red flag about GC Strategies or warn you that something was going on?
12:55 p.m.
Vice-President, Comptrollership Branch, Canada Border Services Agency
No. No one raised a red flag about GC Strategies until the committee started this investigation.