Evidence of meeting #86 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 macdonald.
A video is available from Parliament.
2:15 p.m.
Liberal
2:15 p.m.
Chief Technology Officer of the Government of Canada, Treasury Board Secretariat
No, he wrote that for me. He was not going to that committee appearance.
2:15 p.m.
Liberal
Marcus Powlowski Liberal Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON
Okay. I'm sorry if this question has come up before, but it seems as though the two of you were the main actors in this. If it wasn't you, who could have made the decision?
2:15 p.m.
Chief Technology Officer of the Government of Canada, Treasury Board Secretariat
The decision had two parts. One was technical. I've been clear that I made that decision. The other one was who called GC Strategies and asked them for a bid in the first place. I don't know who that was.
2:15 p.m.
Liberal
Marcus Powlowski Liberal Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON
Mr. Jowhari, do you have any further questions?
2:15 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kelly McCauley
Thank you very much.
Mr. Garon, go ahead for two and a half minutes, please.
2:15 p.m.
Bloc
Jean-Denis Garon Bloc Mirabel, QC
Mr. Doan, it's like we are watching you and Mr. MacDonald throw the ball back and forth because you keep throwing it back and forth. Mr. MacDonald says you made the decision. You say you did not make the decision, but you admit that you are accountable. You have a strange notion of accountability though: you are accountable for a decision for which you say you are not responsible.
In a process such as that, you typically make technical decisions.
Typically, who chooses the company that will be awarded the contract? When is that decision made?
2:15 p.m.
Chief Technology Officer of the Government of Canada, Treasury Board Secretariat
Thank you for the question.
It depends on the value of the contract, but it is the delegated manager who makes that decision.
2:15 p.m.
Bloc
2:15 p.m.
Chief Technology Officer of the Government of Canada, Treasury Board Secretariat
As I said, I do not know who decided to call GC Strategies to invite them to bid.
2:15 p.m.
Bloc
Jean-Denis Garon Bloc Mirabel, QC
That is not what I asked. I asked who, typically, delegated powers to the manager?
2:15 p.m.
Chief Technology Officer of the Government of Canada, Treasury Board Secretariat
The delegated manager is delegated by his boss.
2:15 p.m.
Bloc
Jean-Denis Garon Bloc Mirabel, QC
This is ridiculous. You're doing it on purpose. Who is his boss?
I think you are an intelligent man and are able to understand my questions.
From whom did the manager receive that delegation?
2:15 p.m.
Chief Technology Officer of the Government of Canada, Treasury Board Secretariat
It was from me; I am his immediate supervisor.
2:15 p.m.
Bloc
Jean-Denis Garon Bloc Mirabel, QC
So you make a technical decision and someone else chooses the company that will receive public funds. You delegated those powers to that person.
When I ask who delegated the powers to that person, I have to ask you four times.
So it was someone who reported directly to you that chose the company.
Is that correct?
2:15 p.m.
Chief Technology Officer of the Government of Canada, Treasury Board Secretariat
I'm sorry, I thought you were asking how the person received delegation powers.
You were actually asking who delegated the powers to Mr. MacDonald. I did.
2:20 p.m.
Bloc
Jean-Denis Garon Bloc Mirabel, QC
If I understand correctly, typically you make the technical decision and powers are delegated to a manager to make that decision. That person reports to you.
Is that correct?
2:20 p.m.
Chief Technology Officer of the Government of Canada, Treasury Board Secretariat
Yes, that's correct.
2:20 p.m.
Bloc
Jean-Denis Garon Bloc Mirabel, QC
So you could have found out which company had been hired for this. You could have found out.
Is that correct?
2:20 p.m.
Chief Technology Officer of the Government of Canada, Treasury Board Secretariat
There are several levels of delegation.
2:20 p.m.
Chief Technology Officer of the Government of Canada, Treasury Board Secretariat
He had the authority to make that decision without consulting me.
