Evidence of meeting #109 for Public Accounts in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was dalian.
A video is available from Parliament.
3:40 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Sir, if you're going to get back to us with the number, can you also provide the committee with the names of those subcontractors?
3:40 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Perhaps you could note that for us, please, Chair.
3:40 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Was GC Strategies ever a subcontractor of Dalian?
3:40 p.m.
Business Owner, Dalian Enterprises Inc.
Again, I spent a large portion of my time with the defence department, whether it was my 168 days as a public servant or my consulting time at the department. To answer your question, the obvious answer is yes, but on the aspect of their working with us, I'd have to get more detail for you.
3:40 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Can you provide us with the when and on which contracts?
3:40 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Okay. Thank you.
We know, of course, that they were. I appreciate your indicating an even tertiary awareness of it. They were caught not following security requirements for government contracts.
For all of your contracts with the government, knowing that GC Strategies did not meet security requirements, are you able to guarantee the security of all of the contracted work that you have done with the Government of Canada?
3:40 p.m.
Business Owner, Dalian Enterprises Inc.
Again, the short answer would be yes, because we are ISO certified in our processes. A large part of this happens to be with our...as a prime contractor with the federal government, whether it's an aboriginal set-aside contract or not, because we've had both in the past. I would say in retrospect to that, if they have some misgivings on their security clearances, that would be tracked through, and we should have an awareness of that at our own security shop. I've never been told of any issues with the security clearance side of things with GC. Again, I've just been read into this file over the last number months, and it hasn't come up as an issue.
3:40 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Are you aware of the reports I'm referring to where GC Strategies did not follow the security requirements for contracts with the Government of Canada?
Is that something you've been aware of prior to my speaking of it with you just now?
3:40 p.m.
Business Owner, Dalian Enterprises Inc.
No. You'd have to give me more details on the actual security requirements that were not followed, because I'm not aware of any.
3:40 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Have you or your partner at Dalian ever provided any hospitality to any Government of Canada employees?
3:40 p.m.
Business Owner, Dalian Enterprises Inc.
Not that I'm aware of, no. I certainly haven't.
3:40 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Have you or your partner at Dalian ever met with government employees outside of government offices?
3:40 p.m.
Business Owner, Dalian Enterprises Inc.
I know I have not. This is not something that is even remotely looked at from an internal perspective, but as far as I'm aware, no.
3:40 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Did you ever meet with Kristian Firth of GC Strategies?
3:40 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Have you ever spoken to him?
3:40 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Have you ever spoken to his partner?
3:40 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Has your partner ever spoken to Mr. Firth or his partner?
3:40 p.m.
Business Owner, Dalian Enterprises Inc.
I would assume yes to that question. Obviously, there was a subcontract that was put together for the CBSA for this effort. I would imagine there would have been dialogue that would have had to have happened, yes.
3:40 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Is Dalian registered anywhere outside of Canada?
