QUESTION PERIOD — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
Sole-Source Service Contract
October 19, 2022
My question is for the government leader.
Yesterday I asked you a question about the document that the government hid showing that Pierre Guay, a Liberal Party donor, was awarded over $28 million worth of contracts in connection with Roxham Road.
You answered as follows, Senator Gold, and I quote:
The disclosure of confidential contract information would be a violation of agreements between the government and suppliers. This is standard practice, obviously.
Senator Gold, I do not understand you. If, as you stated, the disclosure of this information is a violation of agreements, why did your government disclose this information two years later? Is it a violation of agreements, yes or no?
Thank you for the question, Senator.
However, as is often the case with your questions, there are nuances and it is not that simple. The government has agreements with suppliers under which it cannot disclose information. Other agreements may be drafted differently or still the government has an agreement with the supplier allowing the information to be disclosed.
That information was protected and there is other information that must remain confidential, at least for the time being, given the agreements that were signed in good faith.
Government leader, every time we ask a question, more often than not the answer always starts off with the fact that the issue is complicated and the answers are not always simple. But when it comes to Roxham Road, it is striking what is going on over there. In 2017, a crisis began thanks to a poorly thought-out tweet by Prime Minister Trudeau that encouraged illegal immigration to come to Roxham Road. Since 2017, we’ve seen the government spend half a billion dollars building permanent installations, correct? That is a fact. We’ve seen the government signing long-term leases in order to continue and encourage the flow of illegal immigration at Roxham Road.
I’m a son of immigrants. Most Canadians are children of immigrants or immigrants themselves. They come here legally. They follow the rules and work hard. What kind of a message is this government sending to Canadians when you’re encouraging illegal immigration? When we see what’s going on at Roxham Road and all the facts I’ve alluded to, has the government simply shrugged off a solution to this problem they created? Or are we now saying that illegal immigration is part of this government’s immigration program? I know you find the question frustrating, but it has been going on for five years, senator, and what the government has done now is give a Liberal Party donor $28 million, and you set up permanent installations to continue the flow of illegal immigration.
I think Canadians should have some kind of an answer aside from the fact that it is a complicated issue.
Thank you. The government is not encouraging illegal immigration. The government is putting into place facilities for the proper and humane treatment of those who arrive seeking refuge. The fact remains that this government is committed to an open and transparent immigration process for the benefit of this country and to the fair treatment of those who find themselves here, however they arrive, and that is what the facilities that were placed at Roxham are there to do: for the CBSA to do its work and process and deal with, as appropriate, those who have arrived.
