Evidence of meeting #83 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 work.
A video is available from Parliament.
4:35 p.m.
Liberal
Majid Jowhari Liberal Richmond Hill, ON
Yes, thank you. I got the answer. This was a fixed-price contract.
Can you tell us what a fixed-price contract means?
4:35 p.m.
Partner, GC Strategies
It means that it's deliverable based, and it's not based on time and material—
4:35 p.m.
Partner, GC Strategies
—so a per diem is not relevant in a fixed-price contract, and neither is a category.
4:35 p.m.
Liberal
Majid Jowhari Liberal Richmond Hill, ON
That's usually what “fixed price” means.
At least the change in the number of years of experience would have had no impact on the dollar value, but it would have an impact on their being qualified to do that job. Is that correct?
4:35 p.m.
Partner, GC Strategies
That's correct. Botler were already predetermined to be the resources working on this—
4:35 p.m.
Partner, GC Strategies
—because they were the only two people who know the software and build it.
4:35 p.m.
Liberal
Majid Jowhari Liberal Richmond Hill, ON
That's fine.
It was a fixed price, and there seems to be a discrepancy between the $350,000 as a fixed price and $336,000, with Dalian and Coradix charging $14,000 on top for whatever, but that's really understood. At least we know the number, and we know how to reconcile.
Can you talk abut the relationship between you, Dalian and Coradix as it relates to the Botler AI pilot?
4:35 p.m.
Partner, GC Strategies
We are competitors, but we are working together, because I am representing Botler, and they have the contract with the client. Although we're competitors, we're professionals.
The government, as the prime, would work through Dalian and Coradix, who in turn would work through me for Botler.
4:35 p.m.
Liberal
Majid Jowhari Liberal Richmond Hill, ON
The government had the relationship with Dalian and Coradix, and you had the relationship with Botler.
4:35 p.m.
Liberal
Majid Jowhari Liberal Richmond Hill, ON
Why, in this case, did they need to go through you as an intermediary? Although you're claiming there was zero cost, because there was anticipation that in future business dealings you may be compensated, why would that intermediary be needed? Why couldn't Dalian and Coradix go directly to Botler rather than having three subcontractors coming under you, and then going to CBSA, doing the work, and then getting paid by the CBSA, to Botler, to you...?
This is where I—
4:35 p.m.
Partner, GC Strategies
It is confusing. Understand that Dalian and Coradix probably had an indication, because I had been working with them for two years prior—
4:35 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kelly McCauley
Mr. Firth, I apologize. I know it's confusing and a lot to unpack, but we're out of time for the round. Perhaps we can come back to this the next time around.
We'll go to Mr. Barrett, please, for five minutes.
4:35 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Sir, have you been contacted by the RCMP concerning allegations that named your company specifically in The Globe and Mail on October 4? The RCMP is investigating. Have you been contacted?
4:35 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
You won't tell the committee what you were paid on ArriveCAN for your two-person company that did no IT work on an IT project, but you said that your commission was up to 30% of $54 million. You won't tell us how much, but that would be up to $16 million.
Is that what you're saying, that it could be up to $16 million for a company that does no IT work to do IT work?
4:40 p.m.
Partner, GC Strategies
We were never paid $54 million. Our piece was the front-end web development and our mobile development, which was—
4:40 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
You said the number was 30%. You won't tell us how much. It's up to $16 million.
4:40 p.m.
Partner, GC Strategies
No, it's not: $54 million included $10 million for a call centre. It included other vendors they used: $54 million was not through GC Strategies contracts. That was only—
4:40 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
You won't tell us how many millions. You're summoned before a parliamentary committee. You won't tell us how many millions you were paid on this, but we do know that you submitted fraudulent résumés that increased the billing rates and falsely qualified vendors. We know that you lied about your relationship with Cameron MacDonald to oversell yourself to subcontractors. That's unbelievable.
Have you ever met with government officials outside of government offices, outside of government business hours?
4:40 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
You have not.
Have you ever met Marc Brouillard, the former CTO for Canada?