In extremely rare move, House of Commons set to question ArriveCan contractor

Darren Major · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 17, 2024 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 5 minutes ago

An ArriveCan contractor who declined to reply questions during a committee quality past period will look further questioning by MPs erstwhile he appears successful beforehand of nan House of Commons this afternoon — an highly uncommon measurement that hasn't happened since 1913.

Last week, MPs unanimously agreed to find GC Strategies partner Kristian Firth successful contempt of Parliament and ordered him to look earlier nan House to person an admonishment from nan Speaker.

A nationalist rebuke from nan Speaker is itself a uncommon measurement that has only been utilized a fistful of times successful nan past century. But it is moreover much uncommon for an individual to look questions from nan House.

MPs will, done nan Speaker, inquire Firth to answer the questions he avoided during his quality astatine nan authorities operations committee past month. They will besides beryllium allowed to inquire followup questions.

No 1 has been questioned "before nan bar" — a reference to a brass obstruction successful nan House that's meant to support strangers from entering nan chamber — since 1913.

The auditor wide has antecedently reported that nan soaring costs of nan arguable ArriveCan task — estimated astatine astir $60 cardinal — was successful portion owed to nan government's over-reliance connected extracurricular contractors for illustration GC Strategies.

That aforesaid study recovered that GC Strategies was progressive successful processing requirements that were later utilized for an ArriveCan contract. That statement — weighted astatine $25 cardinal — was later awarded to GC Strategies, nan study says.

WATCH | ArriveCan app was a basking mess: auditor wide report: 

A abstracted study by Canada's procurement ombudsman recovered that nan criteria utilized successful awarding nan $25-million statement were "overly restrictive" and had "heavily favoured" GC Strategies.

During his committee appearance, MPs many times asked Firth which authorities officials he worked pinch to create nan criteria for that contract. Firth avoided those questions, citing an ongoing RCMP investigation into ArriveCan, moreover though he said he hadn't been contacted by nan constabulary force.

Firth is expected to look earlier nan House pursuing Wednesday's mobility period.

The Liberals, Conservatives, Bloc Québécois and NDP will each beryllium fixed 2 10-minute rounds to mobility Firth. A 3rd information of 5 minutes will travel and will see nan Green Party.

3 times since nan 1990s

Only 3 different group person faced a nationalist admonishment earlier nan House since nan 1990s.

Former MPs Ian Waddell and Keith Martin were admonished by nan Speaker successful 1991 and 2002 respectively.

The astir caller lawsuit was successful 2021, erstwhile Iain Stewart, nan then-president of nan Public Health Agency of Canada, appeared earlier nan House aft nan agency grounded to move complete documents to a parliamentary committee relating to nan firing of 2 scientists from nan National Microbiology Laboratory successful Winnipeg.

But successful those cases, nary of nan individuals were forced to reply questions from MPs.

The past clip was successful February 1913, erstwhile R.C. Miller was brought earlier nan House to reply questions related to bribery allegations successful narration to authorities contracts. 

Miller antecedently had refused to reply questions earlier nan House nationalist accounts committee and did truthful again erstwhile he appeared earlier nan bar. In response, MPs ordered that Miller beryllium imprisoned.

It's unclear what consequences Firth could look should he diminution to reply questions earlier nan House. Last week's mobility suggests that nan authorities operations committee will "consider" Firth's grounds and " if necessary, urge further action."