ArriveCan Contractor Found in Contempt of Parliament for Refusing to Answer Questions

Canada's ArriveCAN app log in screen is seen on a mobile device, Feb. 12, 2024 in Ottawa. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld)

MPs have unanimously passed a motion to find a key contractor in the ArriveCan scandal in contempt of Parliament for failing to answer questions during a recent appearance before a government committee.

The motion orders GC Strategies managing partner Kristian Firth to appear in Parliament “before the bar” following question period April 17, where he will receive a public rebuke from the Speaker of the House.

“It’s a profound lack of respect for Canadians when a witness comes before a committee and refuses to answer those questions,” NDP MP Peter Julian said in a debate preceding the April 8 vote. “It is our obligation to put in place a process so that those answers are obtained.”

The ArriveCan app, which was used to track the COVID-19 vaccination status of travellers entering Canada during the pandemic, has become a scandal for the Liberal government due to the app’s exorbitant costs. The auditor general’s Feb. 12 report found the app’s development cost approximately $59.5 million, but said poor record-keeping meant the exact price tag could not be determined.

The auditor general’s report also said the two-person company GC Strategies made an estimated $19.1 million for its work on ArriveCan, but there was little documentation to justify why it was chosen for the contract.

While Mr. Firth and his partner Darren Anthony had previously appeared before the House government operations committee on two occasions, they failed to abide by two summons to testify again in late 2023 and early 2024. MPs on the committee voted Feb. 21 the men would need to appear and answer questions or face arrest by the House of Commons’ sergeant-at-arms.

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Mr. Firth refused to answer several MP questions on March 13, including which government officials he worked with to develop the criteria for the contract. Mr. Firth said he could not answer because of an ongoing RCMP investigation into ArriveCan, despite admitting police had not been in contact with him.

Parties Agree on Motion

During the debate on April 9, Mr. Julian said he took issue with a Liberal amendment to the motion on Mr. Firth appearing before Parliament, which would implement a delay of his scheduled appearance for a few weeks. The NDP put forward a sub-amendment that Mr. Julian said “cuts all of those procedural times considerably” and would allow Mr. Firth to testify in the coming week.

Liberal MP Kevin Lamoureux, the parliamentary secretary to the government House leader, said he wanted Mr. Firth to appear before the bar to answer questions on ArriveCan truthfully. He said while government spending on pandemic measures was “well-justified,” there needed to be “accountability” for the contracting issues around ArriveCan.

“Unfortunately, things of this nature do take place and there is a need to have corrective action, and that’s what we’re looking for,” he said.

Conservative MP Garnett Genuis accused the government of showing a “flagrant disregard for taxpayers” and refusing to take full responsibility for the ArriveCan scandal.

“This privilege motion is one key piece of getting to the bottom of what happened, demanding answers from Kristian Firth he was unwilling to give a committee,” Mr. Genuis said.

It is rare for individuals to be publicly admonished before the House. The measure has been used only five times since the early 1900s. It is even more rare for government contractors to be summoned to the Bar of the House. The last contractor to be summoned was former utility company president R.C. Miller in 1913.