I appreciate that answer, Minister, but I'll quote the Auditor General:
I have to say that I am deeply concerned by what this audit didn't find. We didn't find records to accurately show how much was spent on what, who did the work, or how and why contracting decisions were made. That paper trail should have existed. Overall, the audit shows a glaring disregard for basic management and contracting practices throughout ArriveCAN's development and implementation.
She went on to state the following:
Government organizations needed to be flexible and fast in responding to the COVID‑19 pandemic
-—and I give you that. It was a difficult circumstance—
but they still needed to document their decisions and demonstrate the prudent use of public funds. In this audit, we found serious failures and omissions everywhere we looked.
These aren't my words, Minister. These are the words of our Auditor General. We have to take them quite seriously. I want to be able to do my best as a member of the public accounts committee to give Canadians the best perspective I possibly can. I know this issue of ArriveCAN has been deeply partisan, and it deeply troubles many of us that it has become that way, but I want to find a way to give true accountability on this issue, which is why I submit that those regulations had to be more flexible.
However, I agree with the Auditor General that what happened was inappropriate and should not have happened.
Do you agree with the Auditor General's comments made on February 12 that there still needed to be documentation of decisions and the demonstration of the prudent use of public funds?