Government Operations Committee on Oct. 31st, 2023

[David Yeo]

And Dalian—

[Julie Vignola, Bloc, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

You have a lot of partners, but you don't have your own space. That's a funny way to operate, but it is 2023.

Given the answers we've heard today, I'd like to know what purpose GC Strategies served, other than billing slightly higher amounts or being a middleman for I don't know what in connection with various contracts.

What did GC Strategies do? What purpose did you serve if everyone other than you and GC Strategies did the work?

[Colin Wood]

That is probably a question that's more appropriate for GC Strategies.

However, I can tell you that GC Strategies was working with Botler for over a year in marketing to Public Safety, to departments in the public safety domain. That's the relationship between those two companies.

As far as our involvement is concerned, this contract was competed for and won at a significant cost in 2019. We held the contract. There are no stipulations in our contracts with the Government of Canada that prevent us from doing this. Partnerships are encouraged by PSPC.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

Thank you, Mr. Wood.

Mr. Johns, you have two and a half minutes, please.

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

Mr. Wood, how many staff do you have at Coradix?

[Colin Wood]

Approximately 40.

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

What office do they work in?

[Colin Wood]

We're on Somerset. We have two floors that accommodate about 70 employees.

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

The mailing address is in Toronto.

[Colin Wood]

No, our mailing address is in Ottawa.

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

Okay.

In terms of the staff you have, do you have many former Government of Canada employees?

[Colin Wood]

No.

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

It's a highly competitive industry. Are you dealing with a lot of vendors, like GC Strategies, coming to you?

[Colin Wood]

From time to time, clients will ask us to consider working with other companies to deliver against a project. It's something that occurs in our industry.

Clients become aware of these arrangements.

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

Do you find GC Strategies and what they do pretty unique then?

[Colin Wood]

I'm not entirely familiar with GC Strategies.

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

Thank you. I'm going to go back to Mr. Yeo.

Thank you again for your service, sir.

I do want to add to that. I hope it doesn't come across wrong, but I want to talk about the allegations Botler made around the set-aside program for indigenous businesses. As I stated, I highly support it.

In terms of the work you listed for Ms. Dutt and Mr. Morv as consultants, has PSPC audited or required evidence from you as per the requirements of the indigenous set-aside program?

Second, would you be willing to provide that evidence to this committee?

Right now, they say that they were hired on a contract through the indigenous set-aside program and they are not indigenous.

Can you speak to that?

[David Yeo]

Certainly. I appreciate that, Chair and honourable member.

The aspect of us creating the indigenous track on the contracting side of things allows us to hire pretty much whoever we want as far as consultants are concerned, but the indigenous side of it or the PSIB side of it is auditable. It is audited on every JV that we do.

If we do a JV with Coradix and we win a contract or a task authorization, it is audited by ISC.

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

Are you concerned about how this audit is going to play out?

[David Yeo]

Not at all. Colin can correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that we already went through an audit process—

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

The work they did was supposed to benefit indigenous businesses and people and it—

[Colin Wood]

Mr. Chair—

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

That is our time. If you have a very quick response, Mr. Wood, go ahead.

[Colin Wood]

The PSIB program is designed to help indigenous entrepreneurs. There are 50 other companies doing similar work under TBIPS.

The program is designed to help indigenous people build up, scale and grow their businesses. Its purpose isn't to bring on indigenous IT subcontractors. I think there is some confusion there.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

Thank you very much, Mr. Wood.

We are entering our final two interventions, which will be from Mr. Genuis and Mr. Sousa.

We're running a few minutes late.

Mr. Wood and Mr. Yeo, I hope you'll stick with us for seven minutes later.

I'm going to be ruthless with exactly five minutes and then we'll cut off.

Could we stick to that please?

Go ahead, Mr. Genuis.