QUESTION PERIOD — Ministry of Public Services and Procurement
ArriveCAN Application
October 18, 2023
Minister, back to the “ArriveScam,” clearly, we now know that the RCMP is investigating, and we know the RCMP doesn’t open investigations lightly. If they are investigating, it is because they think something criminal has happened or, at bare minimum, something fraudulent or inappropriate.
Have you taken the mitigating steps to make sure this occurrence does not reoccur in the near future?
In this chamber, as in the other chamber, there are many people with legal training and lawyers. I am not one of them. I know, however, that it is presumptive and it may not be appropriate to presume the intentions or the actions of the RCMP. The RCMP is independent of the federal government, so to try to interpret what they may be thinking or doing is outside of the scope of parliamentarians.
This being said, I’ve shared information that you knew already, which is that my colleague responsible for the Canada Border Services Agency has had his officials look into the matter through a process that I think we can have confidence in.
Minister, we all know there have been huge overrun costs when it comes to managing this project. That’s number one. We do know, as parliamentarians, that in itself raises red flags.
We also know that when the RCMP opens an investigation, at bare minimum, there is a suspicion of wrongdoing.
Again, what steps have you taken, as a minister who has just gotten into the ministry, to make sure you get to the bottom of this before we wait for an RCMP report or an Auditor General’s report? What pre-emptive steps have you taken to look into this case and give us assurances that this will never reoccur?
Thank you. First, the RCMP is independent; second, the RCMP is not under my control; and, third, when you speak about costs, let us remember the cost — the health, safety and economic costs — that COVID-19 put on the shoulders of Canadians. This contract involved many more things than designing the application. However, designing the application was essential to ensuring the movement of hundreds of thousands of Canadians and foreigners every day, and protecting them while their health and safety were at stake.
