Evidence of meeting #81 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.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
As for the date, I'm happy to defer to the three-week timeline proposed.
Conservative
Liberal
Majid Jowhari Liberal Richmond Hill, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Welcome, witnesses.
Let me start by extending our sorrow for the experience you had in your previous work as it relates to sexual harassment, and kudos to you for turning that into a success at Botler. Congratulations, and I'm sorry that it happened to you.
I'm going to go back to the contract that you had through GC Strategies with CBSA. This was a pilot project for an application that deals with sexual harassment at work enabled by AI. Is this true?
Chief Executive Officer, Botler
Yes. I'd like to clarify that there was no contract, but CBSA approached us for a solution that would help individuals who have faced harassment, including sexual harassment, in the workplace. It was in compliance with Bill C-65.
Liberal
Majid Jowhari Liberal Richmond Hill, ON
Okay. You worked with CBSA, but you got paid through GC Strategies.
Liberal
Majid Jowhari Liberal Richmond Hill, ON
Fair enough.
Had you agreed to be paid through GC Strategies?
Chief Executive Officer, Botler
No, we emailed the CBSA and asked them to stop all payments and said that we would not accept payments from the contractors.
Liberal
Majid Jowhari Liberal Richmond Hill, ON
Okay. When was the first payment to you made by GC Strategies?
Chief Executive Officer, Botler
It was after we sent the report that we would not like payments from them. It was two days later.
Chief Executive Officer, Botler
We were told that the money would go down the drain and that they couldn't ask for a refund, so we felt—
October 26th, 2023 / 4:45 p.m.
Liberal
Majid Jowhari Liberal Richmond Hill, ON
No—I'm, sorry, but you accepted two payments totalling $112,000 from GC Strategies.
Chief Executive Officer, Botler
They were a month and a half apart, I believe.
Liberal
Majid Jowhari Liberal Richmond Hill, ON
They were a month and a half apart.
Once you took the first payment, then the second payment came from GC Strategies. That payment was also accepted and processed.
Liberal
Majid Jowhari Liberal Richmond Hill, ON
Okay. Does that show an intent or acceptance of there being at least a contract with GC Strategies as at least the processing agent for this contract with CBSA?
Chief Executive Officer, Botler
I would not agree with that, because this was directed by the CBSA, and we are a small company. We don't have the right to fight back with the CBSA and to tell them what they can and cannot do.
Liberal
Majid Jowhari Liberal Richmond Hill, ON
Okay. Once CBSA reached out to you and said, “We love your application. We want to do it. Come and do a pilot and proof of concept”, what was the proof of concept supposed to accomplish?
Chief Executive Officer, Botler
The proof of concept was supposed to establish the solution within the CBSA and to help their own individuals. It was supposed to run for six months, after which the CBSA would then sell enterprise licences for Botler's solution to the entire Government of Canada.
Liberal
Majid Jowhari Liberal Richmond Hill, ON
That's great. Did you have modifications? The contract you shared with us was for $350,000 for licences for x number of employees at CBSA.
