Government Operations Committee on Nov. 2nd, 2023

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

I want to know about all of them.

[Kristian Firth]

I don't know which one you're.... I'm sorry. I cannot comment.

If you could direct your exact question to me in writing, I'd be more than happy to respond.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

Sir, you're here providing oral answers to oral questions for a standing committee of the House of Commons.

[Kristian Firth]

I don't have the answer.

I'm sorry. I do not have the answer.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

Well, your answer changes. I have about a minute left in my time and I'm interested in what precision we can get on any of that.

You've had so many meetings with government officials in their private residences outside of working hours that you can't even remember. You can't remember how much money you were paid to work on the ArriveCAN app. You can't remember meetings that you had in hotels with chief officials for information technology for the Government of Canada. I'm not sure what confidence your clients can have in you if you can't remember these very basic details.

Sir, I'm going to ask that you table for this parliamentary committee all bank records related to your business and the Government of Canada: GC Strategies, the Government of Canada and Botler. For anywhere that nexus exists, this committee and I would like you to table the bank records.

Are you willing to do that? Answer yes or no, sir.

[Kristian Firth]

Yes. It's between the government and myself to Botler. Is that what you're asking?

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

Everything concerning—

[Kristian Firth]

I'm asking for clarification on your question.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

Sure. It's everything concerning GC Strategies, the Government of Canada, Coradix, Dalian and Botler. Anywhere there's an intersection of any of those companies, the committee would like your bank records.

Will you furnish them within 48 hours?

[Kristian Firth]

I'm not prepared to do that. I'm sorry.

For what purpose, please?

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

Mr. Chair—

[Kristian Firth]

This is private information.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

Mr. Chair, I move that the committee order the production of those documents.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

Do we have committee approval?

I will interject. I assume that, as with other sensitive documents, we will keep them within the committee.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

Until or unless the committee decides otherwise, yes, sir, we will.

[An hon. member]

Chair, could we suspend for a moment?

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

Yes.

We're just going to suspend for a moment.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

Colleagues, we're back.

I'm going to ask our clerk to read that into the record so we're all clear and in agreement.

Go ahead.

[The Clerk]

My understanding is that the motion reads:

That the committee send for all bank records related to the business of GC Strategies, where there is an intersection between GC Strategies, the Government of Canada, Coradix, Dalian and Botler; and that the documents be sent to the clerk of the committee by 12:00 p.m., on Monday, November 6, 2023.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

Is that clear, Mr. Firth?

[Kristian Firth]

Yes, I heard that.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

It is an order of the committee.

[Kristian Firth]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

Thank you, Mr. Barrett.

We will now finish up with Mr. Kusmierczyk for five minutes, please.

[Irek Kusmierczyk, Liberal, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Obviously, we've heard a lot of things today. Some really interesting testimony and information have been established.

I want to provide you the opportunity to explain to us the actions of Botler AI from your vantage point.

We see, for example, Botler AI has tape-recorded you. They have asked you to sign an NDA. They've reported on misconduct and potential fraud to the CBSA, in fact presented a detailed report on that. They've also gone directly to the media and they have brought their allegations here to this committee.

Help us explain those actions from your vantage point, and how we should be viewing those actions.