Public Accounts Committee on March 19th, 2024

[David Yeo]

I appreciate the backdrop.

It's been difficult. There is no easy button when it comes to working with the government. Many corporations die on the vine because of the fact that they just can't handle the actual process for actually winning contracts. I agree with you on the fact that Canadians are struggling and that some of the people don't understand how to actually process successful contracting mechanisms, but in the end, it's very competitive. It's supercompetitive. Our hardware and software business has shown that: In the last five or six years, we have put in multiple RFPs and not won them.

Certainly, learning the process, whether it's under PSAB or whether it's under a non-indigenous side, and how to interact with the government, is very long, very arduous and extremely complicated.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

I'm afraid that's your time, Mr. Chen. We've gone well over. Your side does have another spot left. I know you have more questions.

I will move on to Madam Sinclair-Desgagné.

Over to you for two and a half minutes.

[Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné, Bloc, Terrebonne, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Yeo, how long have you been working closely with Mr. Wood from Coradix?

[David Yeo]

I believe that Colin came into Coradix a number of years ago, but again, I've been working at DND two gates deep for a long time and have not had exactly a lot of interaction with Colin.

[Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné, Bloc, Terrebonne, QC]

Earlier, you mentioned that Coradix and Dalian had been operating under a shared services model for a number of years.

How long have Dalian and Coradix been working so closely together?

[David Yeo]

Since the beginning. I came to them in 2002 with my first contract.

[Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné, Bloc, Terrebonne, QC]

Did you not know Mr. Wood before he was with Coradix?

[David Yeo]

No, I did not.

[Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné, Bloc, Terrebonne, QC]

Did you know that just before he was with Coradix, Mr. Wood had worked at a firm called Veritaaq, which was convicted on February 23, 2009, of bid rigging for contracts with the Canada Border Services Agency? Were you aware of that?

[David Yeo]

I wasn't aware of that. Sorry.

[Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné, Bloc, Terrebonne, QC]

Apparently, Mr. Wood hid that the company he worked for just before arriving at Coradix was engaged in, oddly enough, the same bid‑rigging schemes that Dalian, Coradix and GC Strategies are accused of today. Other charges were brought against Veritaaq shortly after 2015. Mr. Wood then left the company and moved over to Coradix, which works very closely with Dalian.

Do you see a link between the potential bid rigging revealed in the Auditor General's report and the schemes engaged in by a firm where Colin Wood was the director of sales at the time?

[David Yeo]

I can only attest to what I know, and that is I've known Colin since he came to Coradix. I was not aware of his previous employment.

[Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné, Bloc, Terrebonne, QC]

Okay.

Are you still considering working with Mr. Wood now that you know that the firm he worked for and for which he was the sales manager was convicted of bid rigging?

[David Yeo]

It's always a conversation. It will always be a conversation. Yes, I'll have a conversation with Colin.

[Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné, Bloc, Terrebonne, QC]

Is that normal, in your opinion?

[David Yeo]

No, it's not normal. Of course not.

[Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné, Bloc, Terrebonne, QC]

Okay.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

Thank you, Ms. Sinclair‑Desgagné.

Mr. Desjarlais, you have the floor for two and a half minutes.

[Blake Desjarlais, NDP, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

I do want to return to the comments you made in relation to one of my colleagues' questions on the doctored résumés.

What you do you know about these résumés?

[David Yeo]

Not much, to be honest with you.

In the end, if you talk about what happened between Botler and GC, they could put anything on there as far as their experience is concerned. Our relationship is with GC and with the Crown, with CBSA, as our subcontractor.

[Blake Desjarlais, NDP, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

How involved were you in the review of Botler's résumés?

[David Yeo]

Me personally, zero. I was at DND to—

[Blake Desjarlais, NDP, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

What about your company?

[David Yeo]

My company, obviously. It was a JV, so we obviously had interaction with GC Strategies in performing the task authorization requirements, yes.

[Blake Desjarlais, NDP, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

Did GC Strategies speak to you as to their use of the company Botler?