Evidence of meeting #34 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 border.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Bloc
Julie Vignola Bloc Beauport—Limoilou, QC
So it's your responsibility to continue to update ArriveCAN as long as the app is needed, right?
Partner, GCstrategies
For the team we provided that was approved by the federal government and takes direction from them, yes, that would be part of their tasks and deliverables, which the government outlined for each individual.
Bloc
Julie Vignola Bloc Beauport—Limoilou, QC
So we're talking about $54 million. You're telling us that you received $4.5 million a year over two years. That makes a total contract of $9 million. Were you approached directly for this contract or was there a call for tenders so that several companies could offer their services?
Partner, GCstrategies
The government came to us and asked us to put together a team to help them carry out their COVID objectives. We did this process and it continued for about two years.
Partner, GCstrategies
The contract was a sole supplier.
The engagement and why they chose us—my understanding is that you'll be asking the same question to CBSA and PSPC—is that we're good at what we do. We have a proven track record of working with the government on other projects providing best-in-class talent.
We had already been engaged with them since early 2019. We had provided a team on projects with similar skill sets and knew they could deliver.
Bloc
Julie Vignola Bloc Beauport—Limoilou, QC
Of the $54 million that was reported in the newspapers, $9 million was paid to you, as we know. Given the situation, do you think $54 million for the entire ArriveCAN program, including advertising and information provided domestically and internationally, is an exorbitant cost, a cost that may be high, but reasonable, or is it more than reasonable?
Partner, GCstrategies
I can only really speak of the component we staffed for the government. Again, they never missed a deadline, they worked on 150 releases over three platforms and maintained all of those for two years. I think the $9 million that we charged was value for money.
Bloc
Julie Vignola Bloc Beauport—Limoilou, QC
Do you know of any other company in the world that has been asked to do much the same work that you've done for Canada?
Partner, GCstrategies
No. I'm assuming they were just not considered because they didn't have valid Government of Canada security clearances put out by PSPC, which are obligatory for any government contract.
Bloc
Julie Vignola Bloc Beauport—Limoilou, QC
What flaws, if any, do you see in the ArriveCAN clone that was created in two days? What are the differences between that kind of clone, which was created as a marketing stunt, as I understand it, and what your teams managed to produce?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kelly McCauley
I'm going to interrupt here because we're at six minutes. If we don't have time for an answer in our next round, maybe you could provide it to the committee in writing.
Mr. Johns you have six minutes, please.
NDP
NDP
NDP
Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC
In terms of the commission you talked about, is that commission based on the $9 million? You're within 15% to 30% of the $9 million?
NDP
Partner, GCstrategies
I cannot give you the exact numbers. My finance system doesn't go as intricate as that, that's why I tried to give you a bracket.
NDP
Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC
You made, according to my math, between $1.35 million to $2.7 million between the two of you. You can't tell me what number in between that. Most people know how much they made.