Standing Committee on Public Accounts: Study on the ArriveCAN Application (February 13, 2024)
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Opening remarks
Good afternoon,
I first want to thank the Auditor General and the Procurement Ombud for their work.
Their reports have pointed to significant gaps in procurement processes, roles and controls at the Canada Border Services Agency. I do not disagree with the term glaring.
Their recommendations will serve as guideposts to addressing them.
CBSA's management response to both of these reports reflects the work we have already done and the work we will be doing to make sure that all of our procurement actions are aligned with policies and processes; that CBSA operates transparently and with regard for probity and value for money; and that all employees operate in a manner consistent with the CBSA code of conduct and Public Sector values and ethics.
You have our plan but permit me to highlight three actions that I believe will have a material impact:
- We have created an Executive Procurement Review Committee to approve contracts and task authorizations. This is providing even more oversight on contracting activities
- We will require employees to disclose interactions with potential vendors
- We have increased the capacity of our procurement group both to oversee all procurement activities and establish a centre of expertise to help employees if they have questions or do not understand their authorities and obligations
Of course, we are also actively improving our internal management practices more broadly. Following Treasury Board policies is a cornerstone to effective public administration. And effective public administration is critical to maintaining the trust of Canadians.
I hesitate to say the following because it may sound like an excuse. It's not. The ArriveCAN app was built during an extraordinary time and on an emergency basis.
I know the CBSA was working as quickly as possible at the request of the Public Health Agency to replace a paper process that was not meeting their needs and was clogging the border.
And having been at the Treasury Board Secretariat during that time, I know the direction was for departments to take action and, if needed, to move front end controls to the back. To be biased in favour of action.
But this same direction also stressed the requirement that exigent decisions and actions be documented. As the Auditor General and I have each discovered, this direction was not followed.
The absence of documentation is what is giving rise to these very serious questions. Without a doubt, people were moving fast, but that can't justify cutting and pasting contracted resources experience directly from statements of work.
I want to assure you that I am doing everything I can to get a clear picture of how all of this unfolded. But I am also looking to the future.
I know that many CBSA officials worked tirelessly over 20 months to develop, update and maintain the app to manage the border and ensure the continued flow of goods.
It was a necessary tool to collect the mandatory health information while facilitating travel and trade.
It is important that this not be lost. The Auditor General's 2021 report recognized that the manual, paper-based process had limitations and did not give the Public Health Agency access to the health information it needed, when it needed it.
In fact, the Auditor General found that the government improved the quality of the information it collected and how quickly it was collected by using the app.
But as I have said, it is not okay that decisions were not documented, that procurement files were incomplete and that proper processes were not followed. This audit points to significant gaps and I do not put this at the feet of the pandemic.
So, we have a lot of work to do but I can tell you that the CBSA is comprised of dedicated and talented people. We will be united in this effort to improve our processes and maintain Canadians' confidence and trust as we continue to deliver on our important mandate.
Questions and answers
The Office of the Auditor General's findings
What has the CBSA done to respond to the Auditor General's finding that financial records and controls were deficient and good management practices in the contracting, development, and implementation of ArriveCAN were not followed?
The audit points to some important gaps in procurement processes and controls and its recommendations will serve as guideposts to addressing them. The CBSA has started to strengthen its processes and controls related to procurement planning, contract administration, corporate culture and proactive monitoring to reduce the risk of fraud.
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 all Task Authorizations exceeding $40,000, and centralizing procurement responsibilities within the organization.
How does the CBSA respond to the OAG's statement that the costs incurred to develop and maintain ArriveCAN through professional services and external expertise resulted in higher costs and low value-for-money?
It's hard to disagree. CBSA has always relied on outside expertise for skills it cannot recruit. CBSA still needs to outsource to some degree – but as an organization, we are working to rely less on contractors.
The OAG audit found deficiencies in the security testing of ArriveCAN. What is CBSA doing to ensure to improve its IT testing procedures?
Test plans, test results, and outstanding issues for each release are now being clearly documented and signoff is obtained prior to release into the production environment. The Agency is making sure these processes can be adapted for rolling out mobile applications and for ensuring documentation and controls suitable for emergency situations.
Both the OPO and the OAG audit raised issues about security clearances of contractors. What safeguards are in place to mitigate potential security risks?
All contract resources that were listed on a Task Authorization that worked on ArriveCAN had valid security clearances prior to beginning work. The Procurement Ombuds found that there were some resources; however, that worked on ArriveCAN that were not listed on Task Authorizations, the impact of which is currently being assessed.
What are the roles and responsibilities of the CBSA's new Executive Procurement Review Committee?
The Committee assesses all contracts and task authorizations above $40,000, approving and challenging proposed approaches with the goal of ensuring the best value for money in contracts and ensuring that mandatory criteria for vendors are not overly restrictive. The board is made up of a number of CBSA Vice-Presidents and Directors General from the Finance, Security, Information Technology, and Communications teams.
The number of releases of ArriveCAN between 2020 and 2022 in the OAG's audit is 177 (including 25 major updates), but the CBSA's website says there were more than 70 releases. How is this difference explained?
As COVID-19 Border Public Health Measures evolved there were more than 70 releases of ArriveCAN across three platforms (Android, iOS and web), including 25 major updates.
Those 70 releases equated to changing the various platforms 177 times (in other words, not all platforms needed to be changed for each release).
What has the CBSA done to respond to the Auditor General's finding that inadequate testing of ArriveCAN resulted in 10,000 travellers being sent to quarantine despite having provided proof of vaccination?
Given the constantly evolving pandemic environment and the requirement for 177 changes to the ArriveCAN application in 36 months, testing documentation was insufficient.
By a procedure for streamlined documentation will be in place to increase agility in emergency situations while ensuring sufficient controls to document testing results prior to release to production.
What has the CBSA done to respond to the Auditor General's finding that GC Strategies was involved in the development of the requirements that were included in the Request for Proposal for their competitive contract?
This is not an acceptable practice. The CBSA has taken steps to ensure that all requirements flow through its Procurement team and that the CBSA's requirements will be posted, in a transparent manner, where companies can bid on them.
Why were allegations made by Botler AI in 2022, which were referred to the RCMP, not immediately reported to the Office of the Auditor General?
As testified to by the CBSA's President before the Government Operations and Estimates Committee on , when Botler AI made their allegations, and those allegations were referred to the RCMP, it was not clear that they had anything to do with ArriveCAN. In hindsight, though the Botler AI project did not have anything to do with ArriveCAN, many of the same companies and individuals were involved with both.
The CBSA's President also testified that they regretted not informing the Auditor General immediately.
The Office of the Procurement Ombuds' findings
What has the CBSA done to respond to the Procurement Ombuds' finding that mandatory criteria for the contract that GC Strategies won for ArriveCAN were overly restrictive and undermined the fairness and openness of the bid solicitation process?
Overly restrictive criteria can give rise to an actual or perceived sense that a contracting decision has already been made. Procurement policies and guidance are clear on this point and the CBSA, aided by its new Procurement Review Committee, will abide by them.
What has the CBSA done to respond to the Procurement Ombuds' findings that 41% of contracts sampled were not proactively disclosed?
The CBSA has performed a review of to ensure that all contracts required to be proactively disclosed had been disclosed. Regular data validation is taking place to support the completeness and accuracy of proactively published contract information.
What has the CBSA done to respond to the Procurement Ombuds' findings that approximately 76% of resources proposed in winning bids did not perform work on the contracts?
Replacing individuals named on a vendor's solicitation bid is an allowable practice that is governed by the 'Replacement of Specific Individuals' clause. While there may be legitimate reasons for some proposed resources being no longer available, this practice occurring on 76% of Task Authorizations is unacceptable.
What has the CBSA done to respond to the finding of the Procurement Ombuds that the use of 'median bands' in selection methodology may have resulted in higher rates being proposed by bidders?
Median bands are a tool used in the financial evaluation of bids that specifies that proposed prices must be within a specified range of the median price.
The CBSA has reviewed its processes related to the use of 'median bands' and will ensure alignment with PSPC guidance.
What has the CBSA done to respond to the finding of the Procurement Ombuds that the 'price support' substantiation clause was never applied?
The 'price support clause' is a safeguard against lowball bidding. Bidders are required to substantiate proposed rates if they fall outside and below the median band for pricing.
While it may be the clause was not applied properly during the pandemic, it should be and the new procurement oversight body will help make sure it is.
The Procurement Ombuds testified that during the pandemic the CBSA experienced challenges moving away from a paper-based system to a digital system – how does the CBSA respond to this?
The CBSA, like all Government Departments and Agencies, experienced challenges early in the pandemic transitioning to completely paperless processes - recordkeeping in some areas suffered.
General
Could the cost of the ArriveCAN application be higher than the $59.5 million identified by the OAG?
The Auditor General has acknowledged that it's difficult to be certain of total cost as a result of poor recordkeeping and management practices. CBSA has reported on the cost of ArriveCAN as a Border Public Health Measure while the OAG counted costs that included activities that occurred in parallel to, and following, the time period in which ArriveCAN was used as a Border Public Health Measure. The cost of ArriveCAN, as a Border Public Health Measure, was $55 million.
It has been reported that contractors working on ArriveCAN were paid for doing no work – how does the CBSA respond to this?
No contractors were paid for work that was not performed, including contractors who were brought in to replace contractors listed on bid solicitations who didn't ultimately work on a given Task Authorization.
How much did the CBSA spend on contracted services last year?
In the 2022 to 2023 fiscal year, the CBSA publicly reported (in the Public Accounts) spending about $510 million on professional and special services. Of this total, about $165 million was directly billed to CBSA by external contractors for informatics services. The CBSA also transferred about $120 million to other government departments for IT services.
The balance of the spending is non-IT contracting that covers a broad range of services, some through other government departments, including: repairs, maintenance and janitorial costs at custodial ports of entry; health and welfare costs at detention facilities; legal costs; security and protection services; training and education services; and interpretation costs at ports of entry.
Did any of the CBSA executives involved with ArriveCAN receive bonuses for their work?
Precise information about an individual's compensation is considered personal information. Aggregate information about payments to executives is available publicly online for the CBSA and for other federal organizations, as is information about the salary ranges of executives.
How many people does the CBSA have working on 'staff augmentation' contracts?
The CBSA has about 250 consultants working in IT-related areas and the Agency is rebalancing its use of internal and external IT resources. The CBSA maintains more than 180 IT systems. They are critical systems that ensure the movement of people and goods across the border. Like many critical systems across government, some of our systems are old. As such, we need to make sure that in decreasing our use of contractors, the CBSA does not open up a gap in the technical knowledge required to service these systems.
Why has the CBSA not yet provided the Government Operations and Estimates Committee with all materials that have been requested?
In response to the Committee's requests, the CBSA has collected over 30,000 pages of material for disclosure, all of which is required to be translated. As of , 11 packages of material, including requested calendars and contracts, and 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.
Has the CBSA provided the Public Accounts Committee with all contracts requested on ?
On the CBSA produced to the Public Accounts Committee with all contracts between the CBSA and Dalian, Coradix, Dalian/Coradix in joint venture, and GC Strategies going back to .
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 ?
The CBSA used a procurement vehicle administered by Public Services and Procurement Canada to launch this call for tenders. The instructions under this vehicle provide three options for the language of work: English, French or both. The option chosen by the CBSA was English since the concepts and terminology in the technological field are primarily in English and this language had to be mastered to carry out the technical work requested. This is distinct from the ArriveCAN product offered to travellers in French, English and Spanish, as of its launch in . In addition, 18 languages are offered at CBSA primary inspection kiosks at international airports.
The CBSA's Vice President and Chief Information Officer is relatively new to government and he does not meet the bilingual requirements for management across the public service. Why was this recent hiring decision made?
Attracting and hiring digital talent into government is requiring a hard look at the skills and experience they need coming in the door, and what training and development opportunities can be pursued once on the job. This does not diminish the CBSA's commitment to bilingualism in the workplace and measures are in place so that employees are free to work in the official language of their choice.
Is CBSA working on other mobile applications?
The CBSA is working on both external-facing mobile applications as well as internal-facing mobile applications.
Will the CBSA's internal audit provide more information than the OAG and the Procurement Ombuds' reports, and when will it be complete?
The CBSA's internal audit is to go beyond the ArriveCAN procurement to more broadly assess the adequacy and effectiveness of the Agency's contract approval processes, recordkeeping, and fraud controls that were in place between and .
It is expected to be completed in the spring of 2024 and will be published online.
How many times has ArriveCAN been used?
From to – the period of time in which it was being used as a Border Public Health Measure - the application was downloaded 20 million times and was used to facilitate over 60 million entries in to Canada.
From to (post-Border Public Health Measures) travellers have used the optional customs declaration feature of the mobile application almost 3.5 million times to facilitate entry in to Canada. Currently, 14% of travellers arriving at participating airports are voluntarily submitting their declarations pre-arrival.
In the fall of 2022 incorrect ArriveCAN spending data was shared that the CBSA needed to subsequently correct – how did this happen?
In the fall of 2022 a data entry error resulted in the mistaken inclusion of costs for a company that had not worked on ArriveCAN in a response to an Order Paper Question with respect to ArriveCAN spending, resulting in incorrect spending data. This error was identified shortly thereafter by the CBSA's Financial Payments Team and a correction was made.
A Preliminary Statement of Facts resulting from the CBSA's internal investigation into allegations made by Botler AI was recently shared with the Government Operations and Estimates Committee – how did that document come to be shared?
- Detailed allegations of misconduct from Botler AI were received by the CBSA in November, 2022
- An internal investigation into the allegations was launched in
- The matter was subsequently referred to the RCMP
- In an article was published in the media that reported the existence of the internal investigation
- Preliminary Statements of Fact were compiled, based on the evidence collected to date, in
- The Preliminary Statements of Fact were delivered in hard copy in both officials languages to the Committee on Monday, . An electronic version, in both official languages, was hand-delivered on Thursday, . The Preliminary Statements of Fact were compiled based on information the CBSA's investigation team gathered up until they were prepared in . The CBSA investigation team will consider all relevant information before coming to any final conclusions
What is the CBSA Assessment and Revenue Management (CARM) project?
CARM is a multi-year project to replace the CBSA's 36-year old legacy systems used for the collection of duties and taxes at the border. The system, which will go live in May of 2024, will be responsible for the collection of approximately $40 billion per year in duties and taxes and protect and grow over $800 billion in annual cross-border trade.
GC Strategies
According to the Auditor General's report, GC Strategies received $19.1 million for work on ArriveCAN while the CBSA's President has testified that they received less – how does the CBSA explain this difference?
The Auditor General has assessed costs from contractors, like GC Strategies, more broadly to include work that was taking place in parallel to, and after, ArriveCAN was being used as a Border Public Health Measure. Consequently, the Auditor General's assessed costs are higher because they include work on other projects like Mobile Border and the post-pandemic use of ArriveCAN as an optional tool for travellers to make customs declarations.
What is the status of any contracts the CBSA has in place with GC Strategies?
In , the CBSA asked PSPC to temporarily suspend all CBSA contracts with GC Strategies and two other companies. The relevant clause allows for this suspension for up to 180 days.
As a result of this request one contract with GC Strategies and six contracts with two other companies were temporarily suspended. The final report of the CBSA's internal investigation will inform the future of these contractual arrangements.
What was the basis for the National Security Exception request that was used to justify the sole source contract that was put in place with GC Strategies to work on ArriveCAN?
At the onset of the pandemic, the National Security Exception in the Government Contracts Regulations was used for this contract based on the justification that the need was a pressing emergency in which delay would be injurious to the public interest.
What work did GC Strategies do on ArriveCAN?
CBSA staff were responsible for the management of the development of ArriveCAN. GC Strategies provided 37 resources as part of staff augmentation who worked alongside the CBSA team to develop ArriveCAN – this included work on the development of three versions and 70+ releases of ArriveCAN, as a Border Public Health Measure.
What projects has GC Strategies worked on for the CBSA?
Over the past 4 years CBSA had 4 contracts with GC strategies in which they provided resources to work on several projects, including: ArriveCAN; e-Commerce solutions for the CBSA's commercial programs; Mobile Border enhancements; and, testing and development work to implement accessibility enhancements to software.
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"?
As testified at the Government Operations and Estimates Committee on by the CBSA's former President (to whom the statement that Deloitte was not to receive any contracts was attributed by a witness during testimony on ), he had no recollection of providing any direction not to work with Deloitte and, in fact, recalled that Deloitte was involved, at that time, in a number of critical projects for the CBSA.
The future of ArriveCAN
Now that it is no longer being used as a public health measure, what does the CBSA plan to do with its mobile application going forward?
The CBSA mobile application is now an optional tool for travellers who want to save time at the airport by providing their customs declaration in advance to the CBSA. This option is currently available for those who arrive at the Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Winnipeg, Halifax, Calgary, Edmonton, Québec City, Billy Bishop Toronto City and Ottawa international airports. The CBSA continues to expand use of mobile technology to make it easier and faster for travellers to come through the border.
What is the forecast annual cost of ArriveCAN?
At the outset of this fiscal year, the annual forecast for the maintenance of the mobile application that now helps us process travellers was approximately $3 million. The CBSA continues to report on these costs through quarterly Financial Statements.
Reference documents
ArriveCAN costs crosswalk
Variance in ArriveCAN costs as reported by the CBSA and assessed by the OAG
Vendor cost categories assessed by the OAG that were outside the scope of ArriveCAN as a Border Public Health Measure include:
Advanced Declaration: After the CBSA leveraged ArriveCAN to be used as an optional tool for travellers to provide their customs and immigration declaration in advance.
Unified Traveller Mobile Application and Mobile Border: Unified Mobile Traveller Application and Mobile Platform were investments to redesign the existing ArriveCAN application in line with the latest design standards and best practices to allow for addition of new features moving forward.
Operational Costs: Due to challenges with financial controls and coding some costs captured as ArriveCAN costs were costs that had been incurred against general Task Authorizations that were also used for ArriveCAN work
| Date | Category | Type | CBSA | OAG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| to | ArriveCAN as a Border Public Health Measure ArriveCAN releases, Call Centre, Data Management, Credential Development, Cloud Services, IT Support, Security, Accessibility, Project Management, Data migration |
Vendor costs | 38.1 | 37.1 |
| Salary | 8.4 | - | ||
| OGD payments | 8.4 | - | ||
| ArriveCAN-adjacent work Enhancement Projects: Mobile Border and Unified Traveller Mobile Platform, and 'Operational Costs' incurred against general Task Authorizations that were also used for ArriveCAN work |
Vendor costs | - | 16.2 | |
| Salary | - | - | ||
| OGD payments | - | - | ||
| to | ArriveCAN as a post-pandemic optional tool Development, enhancements, and releases of the application for use as an optional tool for travellers to make customs declarations |
Vendor costs | - | 6.2 |
| Salary | - | - | ||
| OGD payments | - | - | ||
| Total | 54.9 | 59.5 | ||
| Vendor | OAG | CBSA | Explanation of variance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Web Services | 7.9 | 7.9 | |
| Microsoft Canada | 3.8 | 1.3 | OAG costing includes Operational costs and Unified Traveller Mobile Application |
| Donna Cona Inc. | 3.0 | 0.5 | OAG costing includes: Operational costs; Advanced Declaration; and, Mobile Border |
| MGIS Inc. | 2.4 | 0.7 | |
| BDO Canada LLP | 2.9 | 1.8 | OAG costing includes Operational costs and Advanced Declaration |
| 49 Solutions Inc. | 1.1 | 0.5 | |
| Makwa Resourcing | 1.1 | 0.5 | |
| Advanced Chippewa Technologies | 1.0 | 0.4 | OAG costing includes Operational costs |
| GC Strategies | 19.1 | 13.5 | OAG costing includes: Operational costs; Advanced Declaration; Unified Traveller Mobile Application; and/or, Mobile Border |
| Dalian Enterprises | 7.9 | 4.8 | |
| TEKSystems | 3.2 | 2.8 | |
| OtherTablenote 1 | 6.1 | 3.6 | |
ArriveCAN contracts
| Vendor | Spent for ArriveCAN |
|---|---|
| 49 Solutions | 455,665 |
| ACT Inc. | 271,320 |
| Adirondack Information Mgmt | 382,358 |
| Advanced Chippewa Technologies Inc | 145,015 |
| Altair Electronics | 4,658 |
| Amazon Web Services Inc. | 7,975,971 |
| BDO Canada LLP | 1,792,254 |
| BIR Consulting Inc | 62,775 |
| Bluink Ltd | 100,776 |
| CDW Canada Corporation | 18,903 |
| Dalian Enterprises and Coradix Technology Consulting, in Joint Venture | 4,837,653 |
| Donna Cona Inc. | 450,364 |
| Emerion | 494,771 |
| Ernst & Young LLP | 121,755 |
| Experis/Veritaaq | 407,433 |
| GCStrategies Incorporated | 13,486,644 |
| Google Cloud | 75,606 |
| Guardsquare Canada Ltd. | 183,092 |
| Ibiska telecom Inc | 217,511 |
| Le Groupe Conseil Bronson | 322,871 |
| Makwa Resourcing Inc. | 485,015 |
| MapleSoft Group | 48,902 |
| MGIS Inc. | 675,858 |
| Microsoft Canada Inc. | 1,313,232 |
| Modis Canada Inc. | 343,124 |
| Nisha Technologies Inc. | 100,292 |
| Nova Networks | 5,640 |
| Phaselock Systems International Inc. | 0 |
| Pure Spirit Solutions Inc. | 1,008 |
| S.I. Systems | 175,039 |
| Sada Systems Canada, Inc. | 378,848 |
| SoftSim Technologies Inc. | 28,371 |
| TekSystems Canada Corp. | 2,773,385 |
| TPG Technology Consulting Ltd | 47,778 |
| Total | 38,183,887 |
OAG Report and CBSA MRAP
Report reference No. 26
OAG recommendation
Canada Border Services Agency should maintain accurate financial records by correctly coding and allocating expenses to projects. To better support those actions, Canada Border Services should work with contractors to obtain invoices that accurately detail the work completed by each resource, by product, contract or task authorization.
Departmental response
Agreed. As a first step to ensure consistency across all procurement, the CBSA's Procurement function was centralized and regrouped under one organization, the CBSA Procurement Directorate. The Agency also launched a comprehensive improvement plan to further strengthen management controls at all levels across the CBSA and improve governance across the procurement function.
To address this recommendation and prevent similar occurrences in the future, the CBSA will:
- Require contractors to clearly identify the relevant financial codes on their invoices by
- Develop and implement procedures to ensure the financial coding is consistently being applied across all areas of the Agency by
- Ensure the consistent application of financial coding through invoice processing compliance reviews, aligned to approved budgeted activities, across all areas, by
The Agency will ensure compliance with procurement processes and the consistent application of the new guidance, including the work completed by each resource, which will be assessed and reported on as part of the new Assurance Reviews, by .
Description of final expected outcome/result
The CBSA's financial coding consistently reflects the appropriate project or activity, being worked on by the contracted resources.
The invoices provided to the CBSA for contracted services are detailed, with accurate coding, and where appropriate subject to automated system controls.
Expected final completion date
Key interim milestones
Launch a comprehensive Management Improvement Plan to further strengthen management controls at all levels across the CBSA. This includes a detailed Procurement Improvement Plan aimed at improving governance and controls across the procurement functions. ()
As part of the 2024 to 2025 Budget allocation process, the Financial Management Advisors will ensure that Cost Centre Managers have all of the necessary tools to correctly code resources to the approved projects, programs and activities, which are included in the Integrated Business Plans. (Completed and ongoing)
Improve the accuracy of financial records by:
- Requiring contractors to clearly identify the relevant financial codes on their invoices by
- Developing and implementing further changes to the standard operating procedures, including a requirement for all Cost Centre Managers to enter vendor related information into the financial management system, to ensure the financial coding is consistently being applied across all areas of the Agency by
- Ensuring the consistent application of financial coding through invoice processing compliance reviews, aligned to approved budgeted activities, across all areas, by
Administer and report on quarterly quality assurance reviews, of sampled procurement files, to assess the adequacy of documentation provided on invoices and compliance with the new Standard Operating Procedures and guidance. (starting and ongoing)
Responsible organization / point of contact
Jonathan Moor, Vice-President, Finance and Corporate Management Branch, 613-948-8604
Report reference No. 47
OAG recommendation
Public Health Agency of Canada and Canada Border Services Agency should fully document interactions with potential contractors and the reasons for decisions made during non-competitive procurement processes and put in place a process to ensure compliance with the requirements of the contracting policy.
Departmental response
Agreed. The CBSA's improved governance over procurement includes a new Contract Review Board to review and approve contracts and task authorizations. Recognizing the need to ensure sound stewardship of public funds, the new governance structure will provide additional oversight on all contracting activities, focusing on delivering value for money and alignment with procurement and project management policies. (Completed)
To support the integrity in contracting activities, the CBSA will implement a requirement for staff to report interactions with potential vendors by .
The Procurement Directorate will also ensure compliance by acting as the single window for interactions with vendors in the context of the procurement process. (Completed)
The Procurement Directorate will monitor compliance by developing regular risk-based reviews of contracting files. The new Assurance Program in 2024 to 2025 will ensure the consistent application of the new guidance by reviewing the documentation held in the procurement files. The results of the Assurance Reviews will be presented to the Executive Committee on a quarterly basis, starting .
Description of final expected outcome/result
The CBSA displays the highest level of integrity during interactions with all vendors.
The Procurement Directorate has oversight of all interactions with contractors and potential contractors, and will ensure that the procurement files contain all of the required documentation.
Expected final completion date
Key interim milestones
Create a new Contract Review Board to review and approve contracts and task authorizations and improve governance of contract oversight. (Completed)
Implement reporting on interactions with potential vendors for integrity monitoring. ()
Reorganize the operations of the Procurement Directorate to ensure that dedicated procurement advisors are available to assist and oversee activities in the Agency's branches and regions. This new organization acts as the single window for interactions with vendors in the context of the procurement process. (Completed)
Administer and report on quarterly quality assurance reviews, of sampled procurement files, to assess the adequacy of documentation in relation to interactions with potential contractors and overall compliance with the new Standard Operating Procedures. (Starting and ongoing)
Responsible organization / point of contact
Jonathan Moor, Vice-President, Finance and Corporate Management Branch, 613-948-8604
Report reference No. 49
OAG recommendation
Canada Border Services Agency should require that all contracts and task authorizations be reviewed by their Procurement directorate for compliance with the applicable policies and guidelines. Furthermore, they should review the effectiveness of key procurement controls by regularly testing them to ensure they are working effectively.
Departmental response
Agreed. The CBSA has strengthened its Procurement Directorate to enable more effective oversight of all contracting activities in the Agency. This includes ensuring that all procurement actions are flowed through the Procurement Directorate. (Completed)
The CBSA has created a new Contract Review Board with responsibility for reviewing and approving contracts and task authorizations, which will also help to ensure that all procurement activities are being managed through the Procurement Directorate. (Completed)
The new Assurance Program in 2024 to 2025 will ensure the consistent application of the new guidance and the documentation held in the procurement files. The results of the Assurance Reviews will be presented to the Executive Committee on a quarterly basis, starting .
Description of final expected outcome/result
The Procurement Directorate has oversight of all contracts and task authorizations required by the Agency, to ensure completeness and provide assurance that they follow the applicable policies and guidelines, on a consistent basis.
The Contract Review Board reviews and approves contracts and task authorizations, and will be provided with quality assurance reviews results on a quarterly basis.
Expected final completion date
Key interim milestones
Centralize all contracting activities under one organization, and create a new Contract Review Board to review and approve all contracts and task authorizations. All submissions to the Contract Review Board require prior review and endorsement by the Procurement Directorate. A new memorandum of understanding with Public Services and Procurement Canada has also clarified roles and responsibilities with respect to interactions between technical and contracting authorities. (Completed)
Administer and report on quarterly quality assurance reviews of sampled procurement files to assess the adequacy of documentation and compliance with the new Standard Operating Procedures. (Starting and ongoing)
Within all 2023 to 2024 performance management agreements for executives and non-executive people managers, include a commitment related to management excellence that ensures sound decision-making in areas of human resources, finance, procurement and asset and information management. (Completed)
Within all 2024 to 2025 performance management agreements for executives and non-executive people managers, include a performance measure specific to procurement that ensures management accountability for compliance with policies and procedures; oversight; monitoring; and, corrective actions for cases of non-compliance. (To be completed in )
Responsible organization / point of contact
Jonathan Moor, Vice-President, Finance and Corporate Management Branch, 613-948-8604
Report reference No. 59
OAG recommendation
The Canada Border Services Agency should ensure that potential bidders are not involved in developing or preparing any part of a request for proposals and should put in place controls that will prevent this from occurring.
Departmental response
Agreed. All headquarters staff with procurement responsibilities have completed four training courses to help remind them of their responsibilities and the processes required of them. (Completed)
The Procurement Directorate will help prevent occurrences of vendors participating in pre-contractual conversations by acting as the single window for interactions with vendors in the context of the procurement process. In addition, to support the integrity of contracting activities, the CBSA will implement a requirement for staff to report interactions with potential vendors, by .
Further, employees with procurement responsibilities will be required to attend a Code of Conduct and Values and Ethics awareness session to ensure a clear understanding of expectations to minimize potential apparent and real conflicts of interest. The awareness session will address relevant procurement-related ethical scenarios. The Procurement Directorate has created a new Centre of Expertise, which will provide regular engagement sessions for Managers to remind them of their responsibilities relating to procurement by .
Description of final expected outcome/result
The CBSA will ensure that its procurement processes are both transparent and consistent, in order to ensure that they do not undermine the fairness and openness of the bid solicitation process.
Expected final completion date
Key interim milestones
All headquarters staff with procurement responsibilities to complete four training courses to help remind them of their responsibilities and the processes required of them. (Completed)
Reorganize the operations of the Procurement Directorate to ensure that dedicated procurement advisors are available to assist and oversee activities in the Agency's branches and regions. This new organization acts as the single window for interactions with vendors in the context of the procurement process. (Completed)
Implement reporting on interactions with potential vendors for integrity monitoring. ()
Develop a conflict of interest attestation to be signed by technical authorities, requiring confirmation that they understand all of their obligations, prior to the start of the contract. ()
Develop and disseminate awareness material for Cost Centre Managers focused on strengthening the culture of integrity to ensure a clear understanding of expectations to minimize potential, apparent and real conflicts of interest. ().
The Procurement Directorate is creating a new Centre of Expertise, which will deliver, in collaboration with National Integrity Centre of Expertise, regular targeted awareness sessions for employees with procurement-related responsibilities. ()
Responsible organization / point of contact
Jonathan Moor, Vice-President, Finance and Corporate Management Branch, 613-948-8604
Report reference No. 68
OAG recommendation
The Canada Border Services Agency should ensure that professional service contracts and task authorizations specify the required experience and qualifications. In addition, the Agency should document their assessment of the qualification of all proposed resources to ensure that they meet the requirements stated in the contract and/or task authorization.
Departmental response
Agreed. The Procurement Directorate has updated and communicated its new guidance to help strengthen the controls and document each step, including the need for technical authorities to assess qualifications in a consistent manner, including the experience that is required, and that the results must be recorded in the contract award requested and the procurement file. (Completed)
The new Contract Review Board is responsible for approving all contracts and task authorizations at each stage of the procurement process, covering the procurement strategy, project initiation, and at contract award, which will include a review of the professional services experience and qualifications requirements. (Completed)
Regular information workshops will be offered to ensure that existing and especially new managers and employees are up-to-date on procurement-related expectations, starting .
To ensure compliance with procurement processes, the new Assurance Program in 2024 to 2025 will assess the consistent application of the new guidance and the documentation held in the procurement files. The results of the Assurance Reviews will be presented to the Executive Committee on a quarterly basis, starting .
Description of final expected outcome/result
All professional services contracts will clearly specify the experience and qualifications required, prior to their authorization.
Expected final completion date
Key interim milestones
Launch a comprehensive improvement plan to further strengthen management controls at all levels across the CBSA and improve governance across the procurement function. (starting )
Create a new Contract Review Board to review and approve contracts and task authorizations and improve governance of contract oversight. (Completed)
Administer and report on quarterly quality assurance reviews of sampled procurement files to assess the adequacy of documentation relating to professional services experience and qualifications, and overall compliance with the new Standard Operating Procedures. (Starting and ongoing)
The Procurement Directorate is creating a new Centre of Expertise, which will deliver information workshops to ensure new and existing managers are up-to-date on procurement-related expectations, starting .
Responsible organization / point of contact
Jonathan Moor, Vice-President, Finance and Corporate Management Branch, 613-948-8604
Report reference No. 73
OAG recommendation
Public Services and Procurement Canada and the Canada Border Services Agency should ensure that tasks and deliverables are clearly defined in contracts and related task authorizations.
Departmental response
Agreed. The Procurement Directorate has updated and communicated its new guidance that sets out which actions are required to fully document each step in the procurement process, including the need to ensure that tasks and deliverables are clearly defined in contracts and task authorizations, and that they are correctly recorded in the contract award request and the procurement file. (Completed)
To ensure compliance with the procurement processes, the new Contract Review Board is responsible for approving contracts and task authorizations at each stage, covering procurement strategy, project initiation, and at contract award, which will include assurance that the tasks and deliverables are clearly defined in the contracts. (Completed)
Description of final expected outcome/result
Tasks and deliverables are clearly defined in all contracts and task authorizations, they are independently reviewed prior to contract award, and they are correctly documented in the procurement file.
Expected final completion date
Completed
Key interim milestones
The Procurement Directorate has updated and communicated its new guidance that sets out which actions are required to fully document each step in the procurement process. (Completed)
Create a new Contract Review Board to review and approve contracts and task authorizations and improve governance of contract oversight. (Completed)
Responsible organization / point of contact
Jonathan Moor, Vice-President, Finance and Corporate Management Branch, 613-948-8604
Report reference No. 76
OAG recommendation
Canada Border Services Agency should ensure that:
- All resources, including contractors and subcontractors, have valid security clearance levels on file, prior to starting any work
- Prior to payment, the Agency has supporting evidence that confirms and includes the resource's name, the hours worked, the deliverable on which they worked and the contract or task authorization for the work performed
Departmental response
Agreed. The Procurement Directorate has updated and communicated its guidance to document each step in the procurement process, including the need to confirm that resources meet the security requirements, and the need to confirm that the resource's name, hours worked and contractual details are correct. The results of those reviews must be documented in the procurement file. (Completed)
The Agency will ensure compliance with procurement processes and the consistent application of the new Standard Operating Procedures will be assessed and reported on as part of the new Assurance Reviews, starting .
The CBSA's finance team will improve how it meets its Section 33 responsibilities under the Financial Administration Act by increasing its testing on the documentation provided before payments on contract are made, by .
Description of final expected outcome/result
All resources completing work on contracts and task authorizations will meet the security requirements and assurance on compliance will be verified as part of the new Assurance Reviews.
The CBSA has documented the controls in place and reports on compliance on a quarterly basis.
Expected final completion date
Key interim milestones
The Procurement Directorate has updated and communicated its guidance to document each step in the procurement process, including the need to confirm that resources meet the security requirements, and the need to confirm that the resource's name, hours worked and contractual details are correct. The results of those reviews must be documented in the procurement file. (Completed)
Administer and report on quarterly quality assurance reviews, of sampled procurement files, to assess the adequacy of documentation and compliance with the new Standard Operating Procedures, including ensuring that there is evidence on file that all contractors and subcontractors had valid security clearance prior to starting work, and that prior to payment there is evidence that confirms the name, hours worked and deliverables on file. (starting and ongoing).
As part of its overall control framework, the CBSA's finance team will improve how it meets its Section 33 responsibilities under the Financial Administration Act by increasing its testing on the documentation provided before payments on contract are made, by .
Responsible organization / point of contact
Jonathan Moor, Vice-President, Finance and Corporate Management Branch, 613-948-8604
Report reference No. 81
OAG recommendation
Prior to releasing an application or an update, the Canada Border Services Agency should carry out and document its testing, results obtained, any outstanding issues based on the defined roles and responsibilities and obtain release approval.
Departmental response
Agreed. The Vice-President, Information, Science and Technology Branch recognizes that, given the constantly evolving pandemic environment and the requirement for 177 releases in 36 months, testing documentation was insufficient during ArriveCAN development. It was not feasible to complete all testing documentation as per existing procedures in this emergency environment.
A procedure for streamlined testing documentation will be developed and implemented that will increase agility in emergency situations while at the same time ensuring sufficient controls are in place to document testing results prior to release to production.
In addition, the Information, Science and Technology Branch will review and update existing testing procedures to ensure control steps are introduced and documentation is complete before any system or application is released to production.
These actions will be completed by .
Description of final expected outcome/result
All releases will follow either the updated IT testing procedures and controls or the light-touch procedures implemented for emergency situations.
Expected final completion date
Key interim milestones
As of , the CBSA has been following the well-established system development lifecycle governance process for all ArriveCAN releases.
As part of this process, test plans, test results and outstanding issues for each release are documented in the Master Test Plan, Proof Of Test, and Master Test Report. Following the gating process, testing signoff is obtained prior to final approval of the release into production.
In addition to adhering to the established processes, the Agency will do the following to strengthen the IT testing procedures:
- Review the existing processes and identify gaps where improvements to the documentation process could be made ()
- Document additional controls for testing and ensuring quality in IT releases ()
- Tailor its release processes to adapt to the specific needs of mobile applications ()
- Develop a procedure for streamlined testing documentation and controls for use in emergency situations ()
Responsible organization / point of contact
Darryl Vleeming, Vice-President, Information, Science and Technology Branch, 613-952-0478
OPO Report and CBSA MRAP
Overall Management Response
The CBSA would like to thank the Procurement Ombudsman for his report, which outlines gaps in controls and areas for improvement in the Agency's procurement processes. The CBSA recognizes that these are, in fact, part of broader management gaps that must and will be addressed through a five-point Management Improvement Plan.
The CBSA accepts each of the Ombuds' recommendations and will be implementing them to help further improve our procurement processes. Beyond this, the CBSA is strengthening processes and controls related to procurement planning, contract administration, corporate culture and proactive monitoring to reduce the risk of fraud.
The CBSA recognizes that procurement activities must be carried out with the highest regard for value for money, transparency and in accordance with policies and management excellence. Audits and reviews are a way for the Agency to make sure that we are doing things right, and recent findings have shown clearly that improvements are needed. We must make these improvements if we are to maintain the trust of Canadians.
CBSA Management Improvement Plan
The CBSA recognizes that it must address areas of weakness associated with its overall business management practices. That is why every executive within the CBSA had in their 2023 to 2024 performance management agreements a commitment to "Effective management of the Agency: by improving internal systems, controls and processes to ensure more effective management of the Agency's resources and people, including budgets and human resources, with a particular focus on procurement."
The CBSA's Management Improvement Plan includes five areas of focus:
- Improve business planning, to more effectively prioritize activities, align them to the available resources, and execute effective oversight and accountability
- Improve project and program management, to help deliver the digital services required by travellers and businesses, on a timely and value-for-money basis
- Improve human resource management, by delivering the People Management and Wellness Strategies
- Improve financial management competencies, internal controls and provide greater assurance on compliance
- Improve procurement management, by delivering the Procurement Improvement Plan, in particular greater oversight and control over all aspects of contracting
The Procurement Improvement Plan includes eight elements:
- Ensure full alignment with the Government of Canada's procurement policies
- Develop national standard operating procedures, which are consistently applied across the CBSA through the creation of a new Procurement Directorate, including a new Centre of Expertise and Assurance, and ensure that all contracts are managed through the Procurement Directorate
- Develop standardized procurement tools and guidance to ensure that all the required steps are undertaken, and the retention of all relevant documentation in the procurement file
- Develop three-year procurement plans for all branches and regions, as part of the annual integrated business planning process, and ensure alignment of the consolidated plans with the available resources
- Improve procurement management competencies, including the retraining of headquarters managers, and the roll-out of regional best practice workshops
- Improve executive governance, through the creation of the Executive Contract Review Board to review all contracts and Task Authorizations above $40,000, with further escalation above $1 million to the Executive Committee, for approval
- Develop regular Assurance Reviews to check compliance with the standard operating procedures and provide quarterly reporting to the Executive Committee
- Improve transparency over external reporting and ensure full compliance with proactive disclosure requirements
Work began on this plan in 2023, as part of the broader Management Improvement Plan. This work will continue throughout the 2024 to 2025 financial year, with the aim of implementing all of the required improvements. The recommendations from the Procurement Ombudsman are incorporated into this plan.
Report reference No. 4
Recommendation
CBSA should establish a quality control process to ensure mandatory criteria are not overly restrictive and do not undermine the fairness and openness of the bid solicitation process.
Response / Action Plan
Agreed. The Agency has created a new Executive Contract Review Board, which is responsible for ensuring that mandatory criteria are not overly restrictive for all contracts above $40,000. In addition, contracts above $1 million are approved by the CBSA's Executive Committee to ensure they do not undermine the fairness and openness of the bid solicitation process. (Completed)
Timeline for Implementation
Completed
Office of Primary Interest (OPI)
Vice-President, Finance and Corporate Management Branch (FCMB)
Report reference No. 5
Recommendation
PSPC and CBSA should ensure adequate procedures are in place for sharing contract information with the Contract Security Program. These procedures should be communicated with all procurement personnel and monitored for compliance.
Response / Action Plan
Agreed. The CBSA's new Procurement Directorate has prepared and communicated guidance (including a checklist) to help ensure that each step is completed, including the need to share contract information with the Contract Security Program. (Completed)
The consistent application of the new Standard Operating Procedures will be assessed as part of the regular Assurance Reviews. ()
Timeline for Implementation
Completed /
Office of Primary Interest (OPI)
Vice-President, Finance and Corporate Management Branch (FCMB)
Report reference No. 7
Recommendation
CBSA should ensure the qualifications and experience of all resources proposed in response to a TA request are consistently assessed against the requirements for the applicable category and level as set out in the contract and document results of the assessment in the file.
Response / Action Plan
Agreed. The CBSA's new Procurement Directorate has prepared and communicated guidance to ensure that each step is complied with, including the need to consistently assess qualifications and experience and document the results of the review are recorded in the contract file. In addition, all managers in headquarters, with procurement responsibilities, were required to undertake mandatory training in 2023. (Completed)
The consistent application of the new Standard Operating Procedures will be assessed as part of the regular Assurance Reviews. ()
Timeline for Implementation
Completed /
Office of Primary Interest (OPI)
Vice-President, Finance and Corporate Management Branch (FCMB)
Report reference No. 10
Recommendation
CBSA should not authorize any TAs without first confirming resource(s) named in the TA meet(s) all security requirements and retaining the confirmation in the contract file.
Response / Action Plan
Agreed. The CBSA's new Procurement Directorate has prepared and communicated guidance to ensure that each step is complied with, including the need to confirm that resources meet the security requirements and the results of the review are recorded in the contract file. (Completed)
The consistent application of the new Standard Operating Procedures will be assessed as part of the regular Assurance Reviews. ()
Timeline for Implementation
Completed /
Office of Primary Interest (OPI)
Vice-President, Finance and Corporate Management Branch (FCMB)
Report reference No. 13
Recommendation
CBSA should ensure the completeness and accuracy of proactively published contract information as required under the Directive for the Management of Procurement.
Response / Action Plan
Agreed. The CBSA's new Procurement Directorate has performed a review of proactive disclosure to ensure the transparency over external reporting and ensure full compliance with the proactive disclosure requirements. Since mid 2023, monthly data validation takes place to support the completeness and accuracy of proactively published contract information. (Completed)
To provide further assurance that the CBSA meets its legislative requirements, regarding proactive disclosure, the CBSA will develop new reporting capabilities in the Agency's Financial System to ensure the completeness and accuracy of proactively published contract information. ()
Timeline for Implementation
Completed /
Office of Primary Interest (OPI)
Vice-President, Finance and Corporate Management Branch (FCMB)
Committee overview
Mandate of the Committee
When the Speaker tables a report by the Auditor General in the House of Commons, it is automatically referred to the Public Accounts Committee. The Committee selects the chapters of the report it wants to study and calls the Auditor General and senior public servants from the audited organizations to appear before it to respond to the Office of the Auditor General's findings. The Committee also reviews the federal government's consolidated financial statements – the Public Accounts of Canada – and examines financial and/or accounting shortcomings raised by the Auditor General. At the conclusion of a study, the Committee may present a report to the House of Commons that includes recommendations to the government for improvements in administrative and financial practices and controls of federal departments and agencies.
Government policy, and the extent to which policy objectives are achieved, are generally not examined by the Public Accounts Committee. Instead, the Committee focuses on government administration – the economy and efficiency of program delivery as well as the adherence to government policies, directives and standards. The Committee seeks to hold the government to account for effective public administration and due regard for public funds.
Pursuant to Standing Order 108(3) of the House of Commons, the mandate of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts is to review and report on:
- The Public Accounts of Canada
- All reports of the Auditor General of Canada
- The Office of the Auditor General's Departmental Plan and Departmental Results Report; and
- Any other matter that the House of Commons shall, from time to time, refer to the Committee
The Committee also reviews
- The federal government's consolidated financial statements
- The Public Accounts of Canada
- Makes recommendations to the government for improvements in spending practices
- Considers the Estimates of the Office of the Auditor General
Other responsibilities
- The economy, efficiency and effectiveness of government administration
- The quality of administrative practices in the delivery of federal programs
- Government's accountability to Parliament with regard to federal spending
| Name and role | Party | Riding | PACP member since |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chair | |||
| John Williamson | Conservative | New Brunswick Southwest | |
| Vice-Chairs | |||
| Jean Yip | Liberal | Scarborough—Agincourt | |
| Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné Critic for Public Accounts; Pandemic Programs; Economic Development Agencies |
Bloc Québécois | Terrebonne | |
| Members | |||
| John Nater | Conservative | Perth—Wellington, Ontario | |
| Jake Stewart Shadow Minister for Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency |
Conservative | Miramichi—Grand Lake, New Brunswick | |
| Kelly McCauley | Conservative | Edmonton West | |
| Blake Desjarlais Critic for TBS; Diversity and Inclusion; Youth; Sport; Post-secondary Education; Deputy critic for 2SLGBTQI+ Rights; Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship |
New Democratic Party | Edmonton Greisbach | |
| Valerie Bradford | Liberal | Kitchener South – Hespeler | |
| Shaun Chen | Liberal | Scarborough North | |
| Iqra Khalid Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Revenue |
Liberal | Mississauga—Erin Mills, Ontario | |
| Brenda Shanahan | Liberal | Châteauguay—Lacolle | ; and to |
Biographies of the committee members
John Williamson (Chair)
Political affiliation: Conservative Party of Canada
Constituency: New Brunswick Southwest
- Interests: Overall government transparency and accountability
- Elected as MP for New Brunswick Southwest in 2011, he was then defeated in 2015 and re-elected in 2019 and 2021
- Currently also serves as a Member of the Liaison Committee and Chair of the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts
- Previously served on many committees, including PACP for a brief time in 2013
- Prior to his election, M. Williamson occupied different positions. He was an editorial writer for the National Post from 1998 to 2001, then joined the Canadian Taxpayers Federation until 2008. In 2009, he was hired by Stephen Harper as director of communications in the PMO
Jean Yip (First Vice-Chair)
Political affiliation: Liberal Party of Canada
Constituency: Scarborough - Agincourt
- Interests: GBA+ and gender and diversity considerations in the Public Accounts; Environmental, Social, and Governance reporting
- Elected as MP for Scarborough—Agincourt in a by-election on , and re-elected in 2019 and 2021
- Has served on Public Accounts (since 2018), as well as Government Operations and Canada-China committees in the past
- Also serves on the Special Committee on the Canada – People's republic Of China Relationship and as Vice-Chair of the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts
- Before her election, Ms. Yip was an insurance underwriter and constituency assistant
Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné (Second Vice-Chair)
Political affiliation: Bloc Québécois
Constituency: Terrebonne
- Interests: Accountability and transparency for Crown corporations; Greening Government; Collective Bargaining; Lack of targets and results regarding GBA+; Overall government transparency
- Elected as MP for Terrebonne in the 2021 federal election
- BQ Critic for Public Accounts; Pandemic Programs; and Federal Economic Development Agencies
- Vice-Chair of the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts
- Worked at the European Investment Bank and at PWC London
- Return to Quebec in 2017 to pursue a career in the Quebec business world
John Nater
Political affiliation: Conservative Party of Canada
Constituency: Perth—Wellington, Ontario
- Interests: Transparency issues with the awarding of government contracts
- Served in West Perth in the municipal council
- Elected as MP for Perth – Wellington in 2015
- Also served as the Vice Chair for the Canadian House and Commons standing Committee on Official Languages
- Former Shadow Minister for Rural Economic Development and current Shadow Minister for Canadian Heritage
- Known as an expert on parliamentary procedure
- Degree in public affairs and policy management and a Master of Public Administration
Jake Stewart
Political affiliation: Conservative Party of Canada
Constituency: Miramichi—Grand Lake, New Brunswick
- Interests: None as yet, this member has been primarily focused on economic issues having been a member of the Standing Committee on Finance
- Elected to the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick in the 2010 provincial election
- Elected as MP for Miramichi – Grand Lake in 2021
- In provincial politics, Stewart was a member of the Standing Committees on Education, Private Bills, Procedure, Public Accounts, and Chaired the Standing Committee on Legislative Officers
- Is currently the shadow minister for national revenue
Kelly McCauley
Political affiliation: Conservative Party of Canada
Constituency: Edmonton West
- Interests: Criticisms of the PSDPA; Transparency issues with contracts awarded to McKinsey & Company; Challenges with the ATI System; Government spending on outside consultants; Transparency issues and late tabling of Public Accounts; Government write-offs in the Public Accounts
- Elected as the Member of Parliament in 2015 for Edmonton West, re-elected in 2019 and 2021
- Also serves as Chair of the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates
- 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
Blake Desjarlais
Political affiliation: New Democratic Party of Canada
Constituency: Edmonton Greisbach
- Interests: Phoenix Pay System; Outstanding pay actions for public servants; Costs of services produced by the government; GBA+; Diversity and Inclusion; Accountability of Crown corporations
- Elected as MP for Edmonton Greisbach in 2021
- NDP Critic for Treasury Board; Diversity and Inclusion; Youth; Sport; and Post-secondary Education
- Also a member of the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts
- First openly Two-Spirit person to be an MP, and Alberta's only Indigenous Member of Parliament
Valerie Bradford
Political affiliation: Liberal Party of Canada
Constituency: Kitchener South – Hespeler
- Interests: Costs and efficiency of services produced by the government; Government write-offs in the Public Accounts; Phoenix Pay System and implementation of a new pay system
- Elected as MP for Kitchener South – Hespeler in 2021
- Also sits on the Science and Research committee and the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure of the Standing Committee on Science and Research
- Director of the Canada-Africa Association
- Prior to her election, Ms. Bradford worked as an economic development professional for the City of Kitchener
Shaun Chen
Political affiliation: Liberal Party of Canada
Constituency: Scarborough North
- Interests: Main Estimates and Supplementary Estimates in context of studies conducted by the Standing Committee on Natural Resources and the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food
- Elected MP for Scarborough North in 2015 and re-elected in 2019 and 2021
- Member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on PACP, REGS and BILI
- Chen studied at Sir John A. Macdonald Collegiate Institute and the University of Toronto, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Equity Studies and a Master of Arts in Sociology of Education
- Former Toronto District School Board Trustee and Board Chair
Iqra Khalid
Political affiliation: Liberal Party of Canada
Constituency: Mississauga—Erin Mills, Ontario
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Revenue
- Interests: Privacy and Data Collection; Access to information and Canadians' faith in the system, Government contracts and ensuring conflict of interest rules are followed
- Elected as MP for Missisauga – Erin Mills in 2015, and re-elected in 2019 and 2021
- Serves as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Revenue
- Has served on the Standing Committee of Justice and Human Rights and sat on the Foreign Affairs and International Development Subcommittee on International Human Rights and now serves as Vice-Chair of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy, and Ethics as well as a member of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians
- Has a degree in criminology and professional writing and has a Juris Doctor degree at Western Michigan University Cooley Law School
Brenda Shanahan
Political affiliation: Liberal Party of Canada
Constituency: Châteauguay—Lacolle
- Interests: Timing of the tabling of Public Accounts; Accuracy of the reporting in the Public Accounts; Greening Government
- Elected as MP for Châteauguay—Lacolle in 2015, and re-elected in 2019 and 2021
- Caucus Chair of the Liberal Party
- Has served on Public Accounts (2016 to 2018), as well as Ethics, Government Operations, and MAID committees in the past
- Has served as a member of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP)
- Prior to her election, Ms. Shanahan was a banker and social worker, who has also been involved in a number of organizations such as Amnesty International and the Canadian Federation of University Women
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