Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates: Study on the ArriveCAN application (January 18, 2023)
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Overview
Opening remarks
Good afternoon,
When I appeared before the Committee in October, I talked about the internal investigation that I initiated following receipt of allegations of misconduct and the referral made to the RCMP.
On , I received preliminary statements of fact from the internal CBSA investigation. A preliminary statement of fact is not a conclusion and does not reflect all information from the respondents. It is relevant documentary evidence, collected to date, in the course of an investigation.
As laid out in my correspondence to you, these packages contained documents that fit the parameters of material you requested in October. As such, it was translated and provided to you.
The emails that you were provided are also relevant to testimony that you received at previous meetings. Specifically, it confirms that the Botler chatbot was not the result of an unsolicited proposal and that there was a pattern of persistent collaboration between certain officials and GC Strategies. They show efforts to circumvent or ignore established procurement processes, and roles and responsibilities.
I need to say at this point that the investigation remains ongoing. Ideally, it will be further informed by information and interviews from key individuals that have been requested to speak to the investigators.
I am trying to balance my knowledge of information you have been seeking against the integrity of the investigation. In other words, respect for both due process and for Parliament.
Public servants need to have confidence in our disciplinary processes and the internal investigations that support them. And parliamentarians should know if information that is provided to them is unsupported by facts.
The conclusion of our work internally will provide the clarity we need to formulate more comprehensive and further actions going forward, if necessary.
As I testified at my previous appearance, I have already implemented changes in how the Agency manages and oversees procurement. Better controls and oversight have been put in place, including having those with procurement authority in headquarters retake their training, having a senior committee review every task authorization and centralizing procurement responsibilities within the organization. These controls will be calibrated over time and with a fuller understanding of what happened and why.
This will also be informed by the internal review that is ongoing with respect to the contract documents associated with ArriveCAN.
I would like to assure you that my team continues to work full out to provide you, as quickly as possible, over 30,000 pages of information you have requested from the CBSA in the course of your study.
We have provided six packages of translated records. Translation on the remaining material is ongoing. I will continue to send bilingual packages as they are completed.
In closing, while we still don't know everything, what we do know is not okay. I am concerned and want to get to the bottom of it.
I must emphasize how critical it is that the CBSA maintains the confidence of Canadians as we carry out our important mandate.
This situation should in no way dishonour the dedicated employees and frontline Border Services Officers across the country and around the world, serving Canadians day in and day out with professionalism and integrity. I am focused on not letting that happen.
I expect you will have questions.
Questions and answers
General
Why has all of the material requested by this Committee on and not yet been provided?
In response to the Committee's request, the CBSA has collected over 30,000 pages of material for disclosure, all of which is required to be translated. As of , seven packages of material, including requested calendars and contracts, as well as my and other emails, had been submitted to the Committee. The CBSA is working through the translation of additional emails and contracting documents (Task Authorizations and Contract Amendments) and will continue to send bilingual packages as they are ready.
What is the reason that some of the material that has been submitted to the Committee has been redacted?
There have been minimal redactions made to materials submitted to the Committee. This is consistent with the longstanding approach taken to balance transparency with the need to protect information where the public service has an obligation not to disclose. The CBSA is guided by obligations found in law, including, but not only, the Privacy Act and Access to Information Act.
Botler AI
With respect to the Botler AI project, why did the CBSA not validate the accuracy of the CVs of sub-contractors put forward by Dalian/Coradix?
Evaluation and acceptance of the experience of the individuals listed on the Task Authorization for the Botler AI work was the responsibility of the CBSA Technical Authority. CBSA is looking into the process surrounding those Task Authorizations.
Allegations of misconduct
When did Botler AI raise concerns of misconduct with the CBSA?
In late 2021, Botler AI contacted the CBSA to raise concerns about payments and to seek a discussion on new contractual arrangement. Botler AI brought forward the allegations of misconduct in fall 2022. Given the nature of the allegations in fall 2022, the information was referred to CBSA's Professional Integrity Division. We await the outcomes of this investigation and will act on it, as appropriate. The allegations were also forwarded to the RCMP.
Will the findings of the internal investigation be made public and when?
CBSA's internal investigation into allegations of misconduct will be completed as soon as possible and its outcomes will inform next steps with respect to allegations that have been made.
When the President of the CBSA appeared before this Committee on she stated with respect to CBSA's internal investigation that she had: "not looked at the documents… because it is an independent process." What changed to result in the President making the decision to share this information with the Committee now, before the investigation has concluded?
As the CBSA's internal investigation continues, sets of preliminary facts have been collected and presented to the CBSA's President. Those documents were forwarded to other relevant Deputy Heads.
Has the CBSA's President spoken to the Minister of Public Safety, Democratic
Institutions, and Intergovernmental Affairs about the CBSA's internal investigation?
The Minister was advised that the President had received preliminary statements of fact from the internal investigation and of the concerns that it raised. The Minister was also advised that the investigation is not yet complete and of the additional controls and processes put in place to address gaps that have been identified.
Has the RCMP received copies of the preliminary statement of fact from the CBSA's internal investigation?
The RCMP has indicated that it will serve a production order to the CBSA for any information it requires. The CBSA stands ready to comply with any request it receives.
Has legal assistance been offered by the Government of Canada to the individuals under investigation?
Requests for legal assistance have been considered in accordance with the Treasury Board Policy on Legal Assistance and Indemnification.
Has the CBSA taken disciplinary action against employees named in the allegations?
The investigation is ongoing. Any administrative and, potentially disciplinary, actions are the purview of Deputy Heads at their respective Departments.
GC Strategies
How much did GC Strategies bill the Government for the ArriveCAN application?
Work performed by resources through GC Strategies on ArriveCAN totaled $13.5 million dollars.
What did GC Strategies do to receive $13.5 million dollars?
CBSA staff were responsible for the management of the ArriveCAN development. The resources that GC Strategies provided as part of staff augmentation worked alongside the CBSA team to develop ArriveCAN – this included work on the development of three versions and 70+ releases of ArriveCAN, as a public health measure, Proof of Vaccination, Accessibility and Cyber Security.
Why did a witness before this Committee state that GC Strategies was selected to work on ArriveCAN over Deloitte because Deloitte was in the "penalty box"?
The CBSA is unable to validate testimony provided to the Committee that Deloitte was in the "penalty box". The process through which the Government of Canada evaluates and manages vendor performance is overseen by Public Services and Procurement Canada and is governed by the Vendor Performance Management Policy.
Who chose GC Strategies to work on ArriveCAN and on the Botler AI project?
In March, 2020 the CBSA's Border Technologies Innovation Directorate engaged with PSPC to initiate a sole-source contract with GC Strategies to work on ArriveCan. PSPC was the Contracting Authority for this contract and the Technical Authorities were CBSA's Executive Director and Director General, Border Technologies and Innovation Directorate.
How many contracts does GC Strategies have with the CBSA and what was the work to be performed?
All contracts the CBSA had in place with GC Strategies have been suspended. In response to the Committee's recent request for documents, the CBSA has produced, to the Committee, four contracts with GC Strategies with total expenditures of $56.4 million for IT services on the CBSA's ArriveCan, NextGen Handheld, Mobile Border, and low value shipment applications.
ArriveCAN
What was the total cost of the ArriveCAN application?
From to , $55 million was spent to enforce public health measures with ArriveCAN - $38.2 million of which was paid to contracted resources. The total cost included expenditures for: more than 70 releases of the app and website over a period of 2.5 years to meet changing public health rules; a Service Canada call centre which answered calls and emails from travellers on COVID health measures; IT support; data migration, management, and hosting fees; accessibility; and, data/application security.
Full details on these expenditures can be found in ArriveCAN costs: Background and infographics
Why did the CBSA include the "English essential" language requirement in its call for tenders, that was later used for work on the ArriveCAN application in April, 2020?
The CBSA used a procurement vehicle administered by PSPC to issue this solicitation. The instructions under this vehicle offered three options as to the language of work: English, French, or both. The option chosen was English since the concepts and terminology in this field of technology are primarily in English.
This is separate from the ArriveCAN product, which was available to travellers in English, French, and Spanish when it was launched in . In addition, service in 18 languages is offered at CBSA Primary Inspection Kiosks at international airports.
Contracting and procurement
What steps have been taken to strengthen procurement process at the CBSA?
The CBSA has taken a number of steps to strengthen management and oversight of the procurement process, including:
- All Managers and Executives with procurement authority in Headquarters have re-taken procurement training courses
- Review by a senior governance committee of all Task Authorizations
- Reinforcement of values and ethics principles with respect to procurement
- Centralization of procurement responsibilities within the organization
The CBSA also awaits the final reports of the Office of the Auditor General, the Office of the Procurement Ombudsman, and its Internal Audit and Evaluation Directorate and will take additional measures informed by those reports once available.
Why does CBSA use staff augmentation contracts with companies like GC Strategies, Dalian and Coradix?
Staff augmentation, through contracts with private sector IT experts, is used when the required skill-set or capacity for a project is unavailable with existing resources. This facilitates the transfer of knowledge from private-sector experts to CBSA employees – helping to build internal IT skills and competencies.
What is the status of any contracts the CBSA has in place with GC Strategies, Dalian, and Coradix?
On the basis of information available as a result of the CBSA's ongoing internal investigation, on the CBSA made a request to PSPC to temporarily suspend all CBSA contracts with GC Strategies, Dalian, and Coradix. These suspensions were taken pursuant to applicable contractual terms which allow the Contracting Authority, in this case PSPC, to stop work under contracts for up to 180 days.
As a result of this request, three contracts with Coradix, three contracts with Coradix and Dalian in joint venture, and one contract with GC Strategies were temporarily suspended. The final report of the CBSA's internal investigation will inform the future of these contractual arrangements.
The Committee has heard allegations that Dalian and Coradix in joint venture have misused the procurement strategy for Indigenous Business. What actions have been taken to address this allegation?
Indigenous Services Canada has completed pre-audits of the Dalian/Coradix joint venture and Dalian has made attestations of compliance with the requirements of the procurement strategy for Indigenous Business in which at least 33% of work by the prime contractor and sub-contractors is performed by Indigenous people.
Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) asked Indigenous Services Canada on December 5th to conduct post-award audits on active contracts with Coradix Technology Consulting and Dalian Enterprises Inc. across the Government of Canada. This includes prioritizing those where departments and agencies intend to exercise contract options in the coming months.
What is the total amount that the CBSA has paid to Dalian, Coradix, and GC Strategies over the last 12 years?
Expenditures on contracts within the Agency's retention period that have been collected, and disclosed to the Committee, with GC Strategies, Dalian, and Coradix total $121,125,613 since 2016.
What recourse can the CBSA employ to terminate a contract with certain companies?
Most contracts have a clause that allow the CBSA to terminate a contract due to a default by the contractor or for the convenience of Canada. This clause can be used for a number of reasons. Additionally, Task Authorizations can be stopped before the work is completed.
How many contracts do Dalian and Coradix have with the CBSA and what was the work to be performed?
All contracts the CBSA had in place with Dalian, Coradix, and Dalian/Coradix in joint venture have been suspended. In response to the Committee's recent request for documents, the CBSA has produced, to the Committee, seven contracts with Dalian, Coradix, and Dalian/Coradix in joint venture with total expenditures of $64.8 million for IT services on the CBSA's ArriveCan, Primary Inspection Kiosk (PIK) application, Travellers program, and Commercial and Trade Branch projects.
What contracts does the CBSA have in place with Price Waterhouse Cooper?
The CBSA has not had any active contracts with Price Waterhouse Cooper since 2021.
Audits and reviews
How many audits, reviews, or investigations are underway with respect to Botler AI's allegations or ArriveCAN?
Internally, the CBSA's Professional Integrity Division has undertaken an investigation into the allegations of misconduct made by Botler AI in the fall of 2022. Additionally, the CBSA's Internal Audit and Program Evaluation Directorate is reviewing the Agency's contracts and contracting processes.
Externally, the CBSA is supporting the work of both the Auditor General of Canada and the Office of the Procurement Ombudsman in their ArriveCAN studies.
For each audit, review, or investigation, please describe the expected conclusion date as well as the Department's plans, if any, to make the findings and any related reports public?
CBSA's internal investigation into allegations of misconduct will be completed as soon as possible and its findings will inform next steps with respect to allegations that have been made.
CBSA's internal audit of contracting processes is expected to be completed in the spring of 2024. The results of this internal audit will be posted to the CBSA's website once complete.
The Procurement Ombudsman's report is expected to be completed in early 2024. The results, once complete, are expected to be posted on Public Services and Procurement Canada's website.
The Auditor General's report is expected to be completed in early 2024. The results, once complete, are expected to be posted on Auditor General's website.
Security screening process
How does the CBSA ensure that contractors, and sub-contractors, have the necessary security clearance for projects they work on?
Security screening is a requirement for all contracts that involve unescorted access to CBSA premises, or access to CBSA information. All individuals listed on a contract are required to be screened prior to work beginning.
The CBSA validates security screening prior to issuing Access or ID cards to all individuals, including contractors. Prior to a contractor being given a UserID and access to CBSA systems, the Project Authority must certify that they hold the required level of screening.
Issues notes
Botler chronology
- : the CBSA entered into a contract with Coradix in joint venture with Dalian designed to explore an approach to increase awareness and access to information regarding workplace misconduct, violence and harassment. Discussions about if/how to pursue this work followed.
- : the CBSA requested to the vendor, Coradix in joint venture with Dalian, that the work be suspended until later in the year due to internal constraints.
- : Botler email to CBSA regarding contractual matters between Boteler/Coradix/Dalian/GC Strategies; seeking payment for work performed; and seeking a renewed contractual arrangement for further work.
- : CBSA correspondence exchange with all contractors urging swift resolution of payment issue.
- : Botler email to CBSA reiterating contractual concerns raised on 27 September; alleging retaliation by Coradix/GC Strategies; and seeking a discussion on new contracting arrangements with CBSA.
- : the vendor was informed and acknowledged the TA was cancelled, in accordance with the cancellation terms outlined in the contract.
- : Botler email to CBSA announcing that they had "uncovered substantial misconduct" and were "now in a position to share our findings from the last 36 months with you and discuss our proposed strategy for the next steps".
- : Botler summary of the work performed on the pilot project, suggesting they had "detected and validated wide-ranging instances of misconduct"; recommending a risk assessment; and suggesting a Government of Canada wide contract for Boteler's product.
- : Botler sends detailed allegations to CBSA.
- : CBSA Professional Integrity Division launches an administrative investigation into the allegations made by Botler.
- 13, 21, and : CBSA Professional Integrity Division holds preliminary discussions and shares information with the RCMP.
- : CBSA Professional Integrity Division sends formal written referral to the RCMP.
Overview grid of contracts with three firms
An itemized list of every Dalian, Coradix and GC Strategies contract produced for the committee with basic data on each: Company; Effective Date; Value; Expenditures; and, one sentence on work performed.
| Contract | Purpose | Date | Company | Vehicle | Initial value | Amended value | Expenditures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017001080 | Programmer support for a Primary Inspection Kiosk (PIK) application | 2016-09-09 | 104774 : Coradix Technology Consulting Ltd | Competitive – Open bidding | $460,497 | $920,995 | $920,995 |
| 47419-206529-001-EL | Business and systems analysis, mobile and web development, mobile and web testing, problem management and release coordination for ArriveCAN | 2019-10-07 | 172813 : Dalian Enterprises Inc. | Competitive - Selective Tendering (PSPC) | $4,510,484 | $23,443,480 | $23,443,480 |
| 47419-226879-004-EL | Informatics Professional Services for Traveller's Program Information Technology Projects | 2020-10-05 | 199235 : Coradix Technology Consulting Ltd | TBIPS Omnibus | $9,189,998 | $9,650,315 | $9,650,315 |
| 47419-226879-005-EL | Informatics Professional Services for Traveller's Program Information Technology Projects | 2020-09-14 | 104774 : Coradix Technology Consulting Ltd | TBIPS Omnibus | $9,650,315 | $9,650,315 | $9,650,315 |
| 47419-202719-001-EL | IT Professional Services to develop mobile solutions (not ArriveCAN) to address health and safety risks for front-line BSOs | 2020-06-29 | 198085 : GC Strategies Inc. | Sole sourced through PSPC | $4,433,250 | $11,144,450 | $11,144,450 |
| 47419-212524-001-EL | IT Professional Services for the development of three versions and 70 revisions to ArriveCAN, Proof of Vaccination, Accessibility and Cyber Security | 2020-04-08 | 198085 : GC Strategies Inc. | Sole sourced through PSPC | $2,350,000 | $13,936,800 | $13,936,800 |
| 47419-215022-001-EL | IT Professional Services for ArriveCAN (specific to accessibility) and other projects including NextGen Handheld, Mobile Border and the CBSA's low value shipment application | 2020-12-18 | 198085 : GC Strategies Inc. | Sole sourced through PSPC | $2,892,800 | $5,904,284 | $5,904,284 |
| 47419-211699/002/ZG | Informatics Professional Services resources to work on projects related to the Canadian Export Reporting System (CERS); Postal Modernization; X-Ray Analysis; E-Commerce; Cargo Preclearance; Secure Corridor Concept (SCC) Pilot; Guns and Gangs; and Opioids | 2021-12-20 | 104774 : Coradix Technology Consulting Ltd | contract against Standing offer | $4,100,544 | $4,100,544 | $4,100,544 |
| 47060-197627-004-ZL | IM/IT resources to perform various tasks in ArriveCAN, including business and systems analysis, mobile and web development, mobile and web testing | 2021-07-13 | 198037 : Dalian Enterprises Inc. | Competitive - Selective Tendering (PSPC) | $5,850,000 | $13,500,000 | $13,500,000 |
| CW2233973 | IT professional resource services to support changes to the operational environment to better respond to public safety needs given the threat of COVID-19 and its variants | 2022-05-16 | 198085 : GC Strategies Inc. | Competitive - Selective Tendering (PSPC) | $25,377,165 | $25,377,165 | $25,377,165 |
| 47419-206529-002-EL | IT resources for Business Analysis, Mobile and Web development for ArriveCAN | 2019-08-26 | 172813 : Dalian Enterprises Inc. | Competitive - Selective Tendering (PSPC) | $496,386 | $3,497,265 | $3,497,265 |
Online posted ArriveCAN costs as of
Background information
Committee overview and members biographies
| Name and role | Party | Riding | OGGO member since |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chair | |||
| Kelly McCauley | Conservative | Edmonton West | Chair since ; member from – Until now |
| Vice-Chairs | |||
| Majid Jowhari | Liberal | Richmond Hill | Vice-Chair since and Member since |
| Julie Vignola | Bloc Québécois | Beauport—Limoilou | Vice-Chair since and Member since |
| Members | |||
| Garnett Genuis Critic for International Development |
Conservative | Sherwood Park – Fort Saskatechwan | |
| Kelly Block Critic for Public Services And Procurement |
Conservative | Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek | , also a Member from 2011 to 2020 |
| Stephanie Kusie Critic for Treasury Board |
Conservative | Calgary Midnapore | |
| Gord Johns Critic for Public Services and Procurement |
New Democratic Party | Courtenay—Alberni | |
| Jenica Atwin Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indigenous Services |
Liberal | Fredericton | |
| Parm Bains | Liberal | Steveston – Richmond East | |
| Charles Sousa Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement |
Liberal | Mississauga-Lakeshore | |
| Irek Kusmierczyk Parliamentary Secretary To The Minister Of Employment, Workforce Development And Disability Inclusion |
Liberal | Windsor—Tecumseh | and to |
Committee mandate
The mandate of the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates focuses on the estimates process as well as on the effectiveness and proper functioning of government operations.
Pursuant to Standing Order 108(3)(c), the Committee's mandate includes primarily the study of:
- The format and content of all estimates documents; and
- the effectiveness, management, and expenditure plans of:
- central departments and agencies
- new information and communication technologies adopted by the government
- cross-departmental mandates, including programs delivered by more than one department or agency
- Crown corporations and agencies that have not been specifically referred to another standing committee
- statutory programs, tax expenditures, loan guarantees, contingency funds and private foundations deriving the majority of their funding from the Government of Canada
The committee is mandated to examine and conduct studies related to the following organizations:
Central departments and agencies
- Privy Council Office/Prime Minister's Office
- Public Services and Procurement Canada
- Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
- Shared Services Canada
Organizations related to human resources matters
- Canada School of Public Service
- Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board
- Public Servants Disclosure Protection Tribunal Canada
- Public Service Commission
Crown corporations
- Canada Lands Company Limited
- Public Sector Pension Investment Board
- Canada Post Corporation
- Defence Construction (1951) Limited (Canada)
- National Capital Commission
- Old Port of Montréal Corporation Inc.
- Parc Downsview Park Inc.
Other organizations
- Canadian Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat
- Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board (Transportation Safety Board of Canada)
- Office of the Governor General's Secretary
- Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer
- Office of the Procurement Ombudsman
- Office of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner of Canada
Biographies of the committee members
Kelly McCauley (Chair)
Political affiliation: Conservative Party of Canada
Constituency: Edmonton West
- Elected in 2015, re-elected in 2019 and 2021
- Also serves on the Standing Committee on Public Accounts
- Former Conservative Shadow Minister for Treasury Board
- Previously served on the COVID-19 Pandemic committee as well as the Subcomittee on Agenda and Procedure of OGGO in 2020
- Before his election in 2015, Mr. McCauley was a hospitality executive specialized in managing hotels and convention centres
- He has a graduate of BCIT in the Hospitality Management program
- He has a history of advocacy for seniors and veterans
Majid Jowhari (First Vice-Chair)
Political affiliation: Liberal Party of Canada
Constituency: Richmond Hill
- Elected in 2015, re-elected in 2019 and 2021
- Also serves on the Subcomittee on Agenda and Procedure of OGGO as well as the Standing Committee on Health
- Previously served on the Stranding Committee of Industry, Science and Technology as well as the COVID-19 Pandemic committee
- Born in Iran, he is the first federal MP of Iranian heritage
- He has a degree in industrial engineering from Ryerson University and an MBA from York University's Schulich School of Business
- Before his election in 2015, Mr. Jowhari was a consultant and engineer
- Concerns flagged in committee: The cost to develop ArriveCAN and contract values; process for securing contract authorizations and authorization limits; actions taken regarding misconduct in 2021; and communications between the CBSA and Botler AI
Julie Vignola (Second Vice-Chair)
Political affiliation: Bloc Québécois
Constituency: Beauport—Limoilou
Critic for Public Services, Tourism, Government Operations & Procurement
- Elected in 2019, re-elected in 2021
- Also serves on the Subcomittee on Agenda and Procedure of OGGO
- Previously a member of the COVID-19 Pandemic committee
- Before her election in 2019, she was a teacher in a private high school
- Ms. Vignola has a bachelor's degree in history and geography teaching from the Université du Québec à Rimouski
- Interested in issues affecting Quebec, notably producers and the Phoenix pay system
- Concerns flagged in committee: Support for whistleblowers and how the public service treats them; the process of hiring subcontractors and late payments they have endured; better use of federal resources to invest and train its own IT experts
Garrett Genuis
Political affiliation: Conservative Party of Canada
Constituency: Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan
Critic for International Development
- Elected in 2015, re-elected in 2019 and 2021
- Also sits on the Subcommittee on International Human Rights of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development (Vice-Chair)
- Previously served on many committees, including Foreign Affairs and International Development, Public Accounts and Citizenship and Immigration
- Prior to his election, Mr. Genuis was a former assistant to former PM Harper and advisor to former minister Rona Ambrose
- Concerns flagged in committee: Who made the decision to hire GC Strategies and why; potential systemic corruption in the procurement system; requested material be provided to the committee and questioned the value for money with respect to the ArriveCan app
Kelly Block
Political affiliation: Conservative Party of Canada
Constituency: Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek
Critic for Public Services And Procurement
- Elected in 2008, re-elected in 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2021
- Previously served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and Member of Panel of Chairs during the 41st Parliament
- Previously sat on many committees, including Public Accounts, Veteran Affairs, Liaison, Health and Natural Resources
- Prior to her election, Ms. Block served two terms as mayor of Waldheim, Saskatchewan
- Concerns flagged in committee: this member was not present during the ArriveCan Study
Stephanie Kusie
Political affiliation: Conservative Party of Canada
Constituency: Calgary Midnapore
Critic for Treasury Board
- Elected in 2017, re-elected in 2019 and 2021
- Also serves as counsellor on the Canadian Section of ParlAmericas and as a member of the Canadian Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union
- Previously sat on many committees, including Official Languages, Procedure and House Affairs and Transport
- Has a B.A in political science from the University of Calgary and an M.B.A. from Rutgers University
- Prior to her election, Ms. Kusie occupied multiple positions, including chargé d'affaires ad interim for Canada to El Salvador, consul for Canada to Dallas, Texas and senior policy advisor to Peter Kent in Latin America
- Some of her duties before her time in office included negotiating free trade deals, work related to the Keystone Pipeline project, and lobbying the United Nations to place Canada on the Security Council
- Concerns flagged in committee: Transparency and communication with stakeholders and taxpayers with regards to the procurement process; who made the decision to hire GC Strategies; subcontracting relationships, identity theft, forged resumes and value for money
Michael Barrett
Associate member of the committee
Political affiliation: Conservative Party of Canada
Constituency: Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes
Critic for Ethics and Accountable Government
- Elected in 2018, re-elected in 2019 and 2021
- Also serves on the Canada-United Kingdom Inter-Parliamentary Association, the Canada-Japan Inter-Parliamentary Group, the Canada-Israel Inter-parliamentary Group, and the Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group
- Member of the Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics Committee
- Prior to his election, Mr. Barrett served in the Canadian Armed Forces as a Telecommunication Lineman and later as a Human Resources Manager in the private sector
- Concerns flagged in committee: Value for money; GC Strategies contract; truthfulness of testimony; amount spent on contracts and work performed; security clearances; vetting of CVs; contracting of subcontractors
Gord Johns
Political affiliation: New Democratic Party of Canada
Constituency: Courtenay—Alberni
Critic for Public Services And Procurement
- Elected in 2015, re-elected in 2019 and 2021
- NDP's Mental Health, Public Services and Procurement Critic, as well as Deputy Critic for Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard
- Previously served on several standing committees, including Veterans Affairs (Vice-Chair from 2019 to 2020), and Fisheries and Oceans (Vice-Chair in 2019)
- Before his election, Mr. Johns was a businessman and city councillor in Tofino
- Concerns flagged in committee: Value for money; transparency with respect to using subcontractors and who made the decision to hire GC Strategies
Parm Bains
Political affiliation: Liberal Party of Canada
Constituency: Stevenston–Richmond East
- Elected in 2021
- Also serves on the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates
- Prior to his election, Mr. Bains was an instructor at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. He also worked as a media and public relations officer with the British Columbia provincial government
- He has attended the British Columbia Institute Of Technology as well as the Royal Roads University, where he got a Masters degree
- Concerns flagged in committee: Contracting process and improving the procurement process; Results and details pertaining to the internal audit process at the CBSA
Charles Sousa
Political affiliation: Liberal Party of Canada
Constituency: Mississauga—Lakeshore
Parliamentary Secretary to The Minister Of Public Services And Procurement
- Elected in 2022
- Previously served on several standing committees, including National Defence and Science and Research
- Before his election, Mr. Sousa served as a Liberal of Ontario member of Provincial Parliament for Missisauga-Lakeshore and served as Minister of Labour (2010) and Minister of Citizenship and Immigration (2011)
- He was previously a Canadian Chamber of Commerce, a director with the United States Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Toronto Board of Trade
- Concerns flagged in committee: Level of non-partisan activity of the Taxpayers' Federation in the contracting / procurement process; Auditor General's audit of the ArriveCAN App; the Botler AI contract with the CBSA, payment and subcontracting processes
Jenica Atwin
Political affiliation: Liberal Party of Canada
Constituency: Fredericton
- Elected as the Liberal Member of Parliament for Fredericton for the first time in 2021
- Previously a Green Party Member of Parliament for Fredericton from 2019 to 2021
- Also serves on the Standing Committee on Library of Parliament
- Was previously chair of the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs
- Before her election, she was an education consultant and researcher at a First Nations Education Centre
- Has Master's in Education at the University of New Brunswick
- Has a history of advocacy for First Nations Education Centre
- Concerns flagged in committee: Timelines of the CBSA contracts regarding the ArriveCAN Application and delivery dates; procurement and contracting process, increasing government oversight and who made decision to go with GC Strategies and nature of communications with Botler
Irek Kusmierczyk
Political affiliation: Liberal Party of Canada
Constituency: Windsor–Tecumseh
Parliamentary Secretary To The Minister Of Employment, Workforce Development And Disability Inclusion
- Elected in 2019, re-elected in 2021
- Previously served on the COVID-19 Pandemic committee
- Born in Poland, he immigrated to Canada in 1983 after his father was imprisoned for being a member of a movement opposed to communism
- Before his election, was a city councillor for the Windsor City Council
- PhD in Political Science from Vanderbilt University, an MSc in government from the London School of Economics and a bachelor in Journalism from Carleton University
- Concerns flagged in committee: questioned the amount of ArriveCAN downloads, submissions, and role the app played in ensuring free flow of people and goods across the border during COVID-19; the mechanics of contracting / procurement process, cost to develop and build the ArriveCAN app and communications in with the CBSA flagging misconduct regarding the ArriveCAN App
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