QUESTION PERIOD — Public Safety
ArriveCAN Application
February 27, 2024
My question is for the government leader. Yesterday, I asked you some questions about the Dalian company. The company consists of two people and it qualified for the Procurement Strategy for Indigenous Business. We’ve also learned that this two-person company received no less than $95.5 million in contracts in just seven years. When he is asked what his company does, the president apparently finds it very difficult to explain.
Leader, you’re the Government Representative; you’re the one who awards contracts. What does this company do under its government contracts?
I may have a lot of power, but awarding contracts is not in my purview. Dalian Enterprises is one of the companies whose contracts were all suspended because of questions that were asked and that continue to be asked. Again, an investigation is ongoing, and we eagerly await its outcome.
We learned that GC Strategies participated in drafting the RFP for the ArriveCAN contract. Today we learned that Dalian, too, helped form the Indigenous procurement policy, a policy that it applies or tries to circumvent. What’s going on in your government? Does the public service not have the ability to draw up RFP documents or establish policies?
The government’s position is that our public service is capable of meeting our expectations. That doesn’t mean there aren’t things that weren’t done properly, and there are probably procedures that could be improved. My time is up. Generally speaking, I always have confidence in the public service.
