Debates of April 17th, 2024

Sitting Resumed

[Kristian Firth]

Mr. Speaker, I would like a quick clarification on the question. The Auditor General identified no proposal for the national security exemption ones, not the one we are discussing right now.

[Blake Desjarlais, NDP, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

Mr. Speaker, in what capacity was Mr. Firth involved in developing and contributing to the CBSA requirements for the ArriveCAN contract?

[Kristian Firth]

Mr. Speaker, I have previously mentioned there were 220 requirements in that RFP. There were three suggestions we put forward, understanding that they would need to know the technology stack and the types of resources they would need. From that point onward, that was everything. The 220 other requirements were all public information that could be obtained through Buyandsell.gc.ca or through any other RFP that has hit the street. On top of that as well, it was PSPC that still deemed 40 qualified vendors who were responding to this RFP.

[Blake Desjarlais, NDP, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

Mr. Speaker, can Mr. Firth please explain the process, in particular the timeline of events, that enabled Mr. Firth's contribution to that RFP?

[Kristian Firth]

Mr. Speaker, I was approached in May 2021, I believe, for suggestions and understanding of what kind of requirements they would need for a team to continue the work, and I believe the contract was awarded a year later. There was no conversation between those.

[Blake Desjarlais, NDP, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

Mr. Speaker, does Mr. Firth believe that to be a conflict of interest?

[Kristian Firth]

Mr. Speaker, I do not. Again, these were three suggestions of 220 that went through multiple levels and went through multiple departments before being awarded and evaluated.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

This concludes the second round of questioning.

Mr. Firth, would you like a pause before the House proceeds to the next round of questions?

[Kristian Firth]

Mr. Speaker, yes, please.

Suspension of Sitting

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

The sitting is suspended to the call of the Chair.

(The sitting of the House was suspended at 5:07 p.m.)

(The House resumed at 5:17 p.m.)

Sitting Resumed

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Firth said today that he was completely unaware of connections between Vaughn Brennan and senior Liberal staffer Jeremy Broadhurst and was completely unaware of connections to senior Liberals, but Mr. Firth received a text on February 1, 2021, that was subsequently reported in The Globe and Mail, which specifically described the involvement of the Deputy Prime Minister's office, where Broadhurst was chief of staff.

Does Mr. Firth want to correct his earlier response?

[Kristian Firth, Partner]

Mr. Speaker, I have no knowledge, and I cannot remember sending that text message.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Firth received a text message on February 1, 2021. It was reported in The Globe and Mail. That report in The Globe and Mail, along with other information, sparked subsequent hearings at the government operations committee.

Is Mr. Firth claiming he did not read that article or the text?

[Kristian Firth]

Mr. Speaker, I cannot remember that text message, and I cannot remember that article.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Speaker, this is a final chance to tell the truth.

Will the witness tell the House about any connections and relationships between him and Jeremy Broadhurst or, that he is aware of, between Vaughn Brennan and Jeremy Broadhurst?

He received texts. It is in The Globe and Mail. Will he tell the truth?

[Kristian Firth]

Mr. Speaker, again, I do not know of any communications. I do not remember that text message. I have not seen the article.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Firth claimed today that it is common practice for clients to request and to receive suggestions about the content of RFPs from those who bid on them.

How many times, since 2015, has GC Strategies provided these kinds of suggestions to government clients regarding RFPs that it then bid on?

[Kristian Firth]

Mr. Speaker, again, without being elusive here, I do not have that number. I do not know.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Speaker, will the witness undertake to provide a response to that question in writing to the Speaker and to the government operations committee within 14 days?

[Kristian Firth]

Mr. Speaker, we were spoken to previously. Do we have to provide information to the House?

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

I will consult the Chair.

To all hon. members, the process, which was set forth by the House, was that subsequent to the calling to the bar, the admonishment and the responding to questions and supplementary questions, the answers being provided by Mr. Firth would be referred to the House committee for it to evaluate and to make recommendations.

The hon. member for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan is rising on a point of order.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the witness has asked if he has to provide responses. I would submit to you that the whole reason he is here is that he has refused to provide responses. This is why the House is taking this matter so seriously.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

What I understood Mr. Firth to say to the hon. member was whether he had to provide a response to the Speaker of the House.

The point that I was making before, in terms of the order that the House had set out, the order that the House had passed, was that the testimony brought here will be referred to the committee.

The hon. member for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Speaker, will the witness provide the response, in writing, to the question I have asked, which he claims to be unable to answer?

Will he provide it in writing, within 14 days, to the Speaker and to the committee, yes or no?