Debates of June 12th, 2025

Main Estimates and Supplementary Estimates (A), 2025-26

[Shafqat Ali, Liberal, Brampton—Chinguacousy Park, ON]

Mr. Chair, Canadians elected us to work together to deliver the priorities that are most important to Canadians. Canadians sent us here, and tonight, I will remind my colleague that we are here to ask questions on the main estimates.

Let us talk about the main estimates, and the national defence spending and investments in national defence. Let us—

[The Chair, Conservative, Tom Kmiec]

The hon. member.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands—Rideau Lakes, ON]

Mr. Chair, how many times was GC Strategies awarded contracts through Treasury Board-approved processes?

[Shafqat Ali, Liberal, Brampton—Chinguacousy Park, ON]

Mr. Chair, I request that the hon. member allow me to respond to questions.

The main estimates include—

[The Chair, Conservative, Tom Kmiec]

The hon. member.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands—Rideau Lakes, ON]

Mr. Chair, the minister has failed to answer even simple questions when I have given him ample time to do that.

Does the Treasury Board have any mechanisms in place to make sure that work is completed before payments are made?

[Shafqat Ali, Liberal, Brampton—Chinguacousy Park, ON]

Mr. Chair, we have a robust mechanism of rules in the Canadian government and rules are being followed.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands—Rideau Lakes, ON]

Mr. Chair, were the rules followed in this case?

[Shafqat Ali, Liberal, Brampton—Chinguacousy Park, ON]

Mr. Chair, in our main estimates, 2025-26, indigenous services—

[The Chair, Conservative, Tom Kmiec]

The hon. member.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands—Rideau Lakes, ON]

Mr. Chair, has any Treasury Board employee faced discipline in this case?

[Shafqat Ali, Liberal, Brampton—Chinguacousy Park, ON]

Mr. Chair, we are here to discuss the main estimates.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands—Rideau Lakes, ON]

Mr. Chair, will the minister table a list of all firms that are currently pre-qualified to do IT work?

[Shafqat Ali, Liberal, Brampton—Chinguacousy Park, ON]

Mr. Chair, if the hon. member has the same question, I will have the same answer. We are here to discuss the main estimates—

[The Chair, Conservative, Tom Kmiec]

The hon. member.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands—Rideau Lakes, ON]

Mr. Chair, with $222 billion in new spending authorities requested by the President of the Treasury Board, it is absolutely unacceptable that the minister came this evening without any information.

I have one final question. Was the minister ever briefed on the ArriveCAN scandal?

[Shafqat Ali, Liberal, Brampton—Chinguacousy Park, ON]

Mr. Chair, I expect that I will have the time to respond. The main estimates include—

[The Chair, Conservative, Tom Kmiec]

The time has elapsed for providing an answer.

Proceeding with debate, the member for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan.

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

Mr. Chair, does the minister think that people who work for the public service should be able to work as external contractors at the same time as they are employed by the public service?

[The Chair, Conservative, Tom Kmiec]

The parliamentary secretary to the government House leader is rising on a point of order.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Chair, I have a concern. A member is actually recording what is taking place. I see a member holding a phone.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Chair, Conservative, Tom Kmiec]

To address the point of order—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Chair, Conservative, Tom Kmiec]

Order.

I can see very clearly that there are timers being used by different parties.