Evidence of meeting #126 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 kpmg.
A video is available from Parliament.
5:25 p.m.
Liberal
5:25 p.m.
Liberal
5:25 p.m.
Director, Canadian Government Services, TEKsystems
Yes, we were contacted by the Auditor General prior to the release of the report. We co-operated with her investigation and have not heard back from the office since.
5:25 p.m.
Liberal
Brenda Shanahan Liberal Châteauguay—Lacolle, QC
Was there anything in the report that was new to you and you learned once the report was published?
5:25 p.m.
Director, Canadian Government Services, TEKsystems
We've read the report and we agree with what's in it.
5:25 p.m.
Liberal
Brenda Shanahan Liberal Châteauguay—Lacolle, QC
Very good.
If you are contacted by the RCMP, will you co-operate with ongoing investigations into the ArriveCAN application?
May 30th, 2024 / 5:25 p.m.
Partner and National Leader, Digital Health Transformation Practice, KPMG
Thank you for the member's question.
Just to be clear, for the ArriveCAN work we've done, we have not been contacted by the RCMP. Of course, if we were, we would comply and we would co-operate fully. However, we have not been contacted.
5:25 p.m.
Liberal
5:25 p.m.
President, Donna Cona Inc.
We have not been contacted by the RCMP. Obviously if we were, we would co-operate.
5:25 p.m.
Director, Canadian Government Services, TEKsystems
We have not been contacted by the RCMP, but we would co-operate with the investigation.
5:25 p.m.
Liberal
Brenda Shanahan Liberal Châteauguay—Lacolle, QC
Thank you very much for the work you did in the public service.
I have no further questions.
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative John Williamson
Thank you very much.
I now give the floor to Ms. Sinclair‑Desgagné for two and a half minutes.
5:25 p.m.
Bloc
Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné Bloc Terrebonne, QC
Mr. Loschmann, you just said that you would co‑operate with an RCMP investigation.
What would you have to say about the current investigation? Have you seen anything that you would like to share with us?
5:25 p.m.
Director, Canadian Government Services, TEKsystems
We haven't been contacted by the RCMP with regard to the CBSA or ArriveCAN, so I have no further comment.
5:25 p.m.
Bloc
Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné Bloc Terrebonne, QC
When you worked with them, you didn't see anything untoward.
Some have talked about systemic corruption within the Canada Border Services Agency. Did you see anything suspicious?
5:25 p.m.
Director, Canadian Government Services, TEKsystems
Thank you the question.
No, we have not been contacted by the RCMP.
5:25 p.m.
Bloc
Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné Bloc Terrebonne, QC
Thank you.
I'm going to move on to the questions I was going to ask Donna Cona.
I'm going to come back to the fact that you were charged and that it changed your life, but we can still see that Dona Cona has continued to receive contracts in droves. In fact, in 2021 alone, I believe the Canada Border Services Agency awarded 21 contracts non‑competitively to Donna Cona. Actually, it was 22 contracts.
How do you explain the fact that so many contracts were awarded non‑competitively to a single company in a single year?
5:30 p.m.
President, Donna Cona Inc.
I'm sorry. Who...? We didn't have any non-competitive contracts.
5:30 p.m.
Bloc
Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné Bloc Terrebonne, QC
According to the government's website, in 2021, you entered into 22 non‑competitive service contracts with the Canada Border Services Agency. That information is on the open government website.
Are you challenging the government's numbers?
5:30 p.m.
President, Donna Cona Inc.
I'm sorry. Could you repeat the question? My understanding is that you're saying we had 20-odd non-competitive contracts awarded.
5:30 p.m.
Bloc
5:30 p.m.
President, Donna Cona Inc.
We don't have any non-competitive.... We can't validate that information.
5:30 p.m.
Bloc
Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné Bloc Terrebonne, QC
Okay.
So you are disputing the figures on the open government site, which is quite strange. In fact, this is a first.
Have you never had any contracts awarded in a non‑competitive manner with the Government of Canada?