Evidence of meeting #121 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 cbsa.
A video is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Who would have done that due diligence to verify that he ought to be seeing the documents he saw?
President, Canada Border Services Agency
They were documents that existed when he was the president of the CBSA.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
He had access to all of the documents that existed when he was the president of the CBSA.
President, Canada Border Services Agency
He had access to his emails. Then he requested specific documents to review—
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Would you table a list of those specific documents that he requested access to?
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
On what date did this occur?
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Will you get back to us?
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Okay.
Also, is there certainty that he didn't meet with anybody?
President, Canada Border Services Agency
I'm not aware that he met with anybody, but again, I think that question is best posed to him.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Was he furnished with any information—briefing materials, talking points, anything of that nature?
President, Canada Border Services Agency
He wasn't furnished with any talking points. He did see material, as I have said.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Was this prep material for committee?
President, Canada Border Services Agency
They were documents he wanted to review before coming to testify here.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Yes, I get that he wanted to see them. What I'm asking is what type of documents they were.
We know that your department prepares you in advance of your committee. To say that he wanted to see them—okay, fine; I believe it's in your collective interest that you all were aligned on what he said when he came to committee, because this is a massive scandal that your agency is facing. Did he ask to see the same type of prep materials that he would have asked to see when he was the president, such as the alignment on messaging that the department was using?
President, Canada Border Services Agency
There's no alignment and there's no messaging. I asked for material to prepare myself. He wanted to review documents that existed when he was the president of CBSA to refresh his memory to come and testify.
Again, he is coming on Thursday. I believe these questions are best put to him.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative John Williamson
Thank you very much. That is the time.
Ms. Yip, you have the floor for six minutes, please.
Liberal
Jean Yip Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON
Thank you, Chair.
Thank you to the witnesses for taking the time to come again to speak on behalf of CBSA.
Ms. O'Gorman, did you learn anything new from Kristian Firth's testimony before the House on April 17?
President, Canada Border Services Agency
I believe I was generally aware of all the points he made. I apologize if I'm missing something, but there was nothing specific that jumped out as particularly new information.
Liberal
Jean Yip Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON
Okay. Has CBSA requested that any funds be repaid to the government from GC Strategies or Coradix and Dalian?
President, Canada Border Services Agency
We are going through all the documentation and those contracts to determine whether restitution is warranted. I'm working closely with our colleagues in the public services and procurement department to do that work, and would rely on them to seek restitution. Certainly, that is what we are looking at.
Liberal
Jean Yip Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON
Is it that department that would lead in the effort to recoup the funds?
President, Canada Border Services Agency
We would have the documentation that would give rise to any questions as to whether restitution is warranted, but we would work closely with PSPC to seek that restitution.