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Minutes of Proceedings

44th Parliament, 1st Session
Meeting 110
Monday, March 18, 2024, 11:00 a.m. to 1:17 p.m.
Televised
Presiding
Kelly McCauley, Chair (Conservative)

Library of Parliament
• Olivier Leblanc-Laurendeau, Analyst
• Ryan van den Berg, Analyst
Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer
• Yves Giroux, Parliamentary Budget Officer
• Jill Giswold, Senior Analyst
• Kaitlyn Vanderwees, Analyst
Pursuant to Standing Order 81(5), the committee commenced consideration of the Supplementary Estimates (C), 2023-24: Votes 1c and 5c under Department of Public Works and Government Services, Vote 1c under Privy Council Office, Vote 1c under Shared Services Canada and Votes 1c, 15c, 20c and 30c under Treasury Board Secretaria, referred to the committee on Thursday, February 15, 2024.

Yves Giroux made a statement and, with Jill Giswold and Kaitlyn Vanderwees, answered questions.

On motion of Taylor Bachrach, it was agreed, — That the committee write to the Parliamentary Budget Office and request an analysis of service delivery impacts stemming from budget cuts at Indigenous Services Canada and Crown Indigenous Relations.

Motion

Julie Vignola moved, — That, given that:

(i) the Auditor General has found that the ArriveCAN application has cost taxpayers at least $60 million and that the Canada Border Services Agency’s management of public funds with respect to the ArriveCAN application has been disastrous;

(ii) the Canada Border Services Agency is currently working on implementing an official, digital system of record to apply international trade policies for commercial duties and taxes for importers and trade chain partners, known as the CBSA Assessment and Revenue Management (CARM), and that this new system will come into effect for everyone on May 13, 2024, despite a short trial period and limited testing;

(iii) the government procurement website canadabuys.canada.ca states that contracts awarded to Deloitte for the development of the CARM project have a minimum value of several hundred million dollars;

Pursuant to Standing Order 108(3)(c), the committee

A. orders the Canada Border Services Agency to produce, in both official languages, unredacted copies of:

a. all signed contracts relating to the development and implementation of the CARM project since the beginning of 2018;

b. all CBSA communications relating to the 2018 Deloitte technical specifications;

c. all CBSA communications relating to CARM Release 2 testing since October 2023; provided the documents are submitted to the committee clerk no later than 15 days following the adoption of this motion; and

B. once the documents have been received by the committee that it invite the President of the Canada Border Services Agency to testify at a 2-hour meeting to answer the committee’s questions about the contract for the development and implementation of the CARM.

Debate arose thereon.

Amendment

Jenica Atwin moved, — That the motion be amended by replacing the word “2018” with the word “2010”.

Debate arose thereon.

The question was put on the amendment of Jenica Atwin and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Jenica Atwin, Taylor Bachrach, Parm Bains, Majid Jowhari, Irek Kusmierczyk, Charles Sousa, Julie Vignola — 7;

NAYS: Kelly Block, Garnett Genuis, Stephanie Kusie — 3.

Amendment

Charles Sousa moved, — That the motion be amended by deleting subparagraphs b and c.

Debate arose thereon.

The question was put on the amendment and the result of the vote was announced:

YEAS: Jenica Atwin, Parm Bains, Majid Jowhari, Irek Kusmierczyk, Charles Sousa — 5;

NAYS: Taylor Bachrach, Kelly Block, Garnett Genuis, Stephanie Kusie, Julie Vignola — 5.

Whereupon, the Chair voted in the negative.

Accordingly, the amendment was negatived.

The question was put on the motion, as amended, and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Jenica Atwin, Taylor Bachrach, Parm Bains, Kelly Block, Garnett Genuis, Majid Jowhari, Stephanie Kusie, Irek Kusmierczyk, Charles Sousa, Julie Vignola — 10;

NAYS: — 0.

The motion, as amended, read as follows:

That, given that:

(i) the Auditor General has found that the ArriveCAN application has cost taxpayers at least $60 million and that the Canada Border Services Agency’s management of public funds with respect to the ArriveCAN application has been disastrous;

(ii) the Canada Border Services Agency is currently working on implementing an official, digital system of record to apply international trade policies for commercial duties and taxes for importers and trade chain partners, known as the CBSA Assessment and Revenue Management (CARM), and that this new system will come into effect for everyone on May 13, 2024, despite a short trial period and limited testing;

(iii) the government procurement website canadabuys.canada.ca states that contracts awarded to Deloitte for the development of the CARM project have a minimum value of several hundred million dollars;

Pursuant to Standing Order 108(3)(c), the committee

A. orders the Canada Border Services Agency to produce, in both official languages, unredacted copies of:

a. all signed contracts relating to the development and implementation of the CARM project since the beginning of 2010;

b. all CBSA communications relating to the 2018 Deloitte technical specifications;

c. all CBSA communications relating to CARM Release 2 testing since October 2023; provided the documents are submitted to the committee clerk no later than 15 days following the adoption of this motion; and

B. once the documents have been received by the committee that it invite the President of the Canada Border Services Agency to testify at a 2-hour meeting to answer the committee’s questions about the contract for the development and implementation of the CARM.

Motion

Garnett Genuis moved, — That, according to committee testimony, the Government of Canada uses 635 staff augmentation companies, or IT companies the do not perform any actual IT work themselves, and the Government does not even know how many of these companies have two employees or less, like ArriveCan contractors GC Strategies, the committee report to the House its request to the Parliamentary Budget Officer to complete a full report on the increased costs taxpayers pay due to the government using 635 staff augmentation companies and that this report is completed by Saturday, June 1, 2024.

Debate arose thereon.

Motion

Jenica Atwin moved, — That the committee do now adjourn.

The question was put on the motion and the result of the vote was announced:

YEAS: Jenica Atwin, Parm Bains, Majid Jowhari, Irek Kusmierczyk, Charles Sousa — 5;

NAYS: Taylor Bachrach, Kelly Block, Garnett Genuis, Stephanie Kusie, Julie Vignola — 5.

Whereupon, the Chair voted in the negative.

Accordingly, the motion was negatived.

The debate continued.

Amendment

Majid Jowhari moved, — That the motion be amended by replacing all the words after the words “the committee” with the following "request that the Parliamentary Budget Officer complete a full report on the increased costs taxpayers pay due to the government using 635 staff augmentation companies".

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Majid Jowhari and it was agreed to on division.

After debate, the question was put on the motion, as amended, and it was agreed to on division.

The motion, as amended, read as follows:

That, according to committee testimony, the Government of Canada uses 635 staff augmentation companies, or IT companies the do not perform any actual IT work themselves, and the Government does not even know how many of these companies have two employees or less, like ArriveCan contractors GC Strategies, the committee request that the Parliamentary Budget Officer complete a full report on the increased costs taxpayers pay due to the government using 635 staff augmentation companies.

By unanimous consent, the Chair called Votes 1c and 5c under Department of Public Works and Government Services, Vote 1c under Privy Council Office, Vote 1c under Shared Services Canada and Votes 1c, 15c, 20c and 30c under Treasury Board Secretariat.

Votes 1c and 5c under Department of Public Works and Government Services, Vote 1c under Privy Council Office, Vote 1c under Shared Services Canada and Votes 1c, 15c, 20c and 30c under Treasury Board Secretariat carried on division.

ORDERED, — That the Chair report Votes 1c and 5c under Department of Public Works and Government Services, Vote 1c under Privy Council Office, Vote 1c under Shared Services Canada and Votes 1c, 15c, 20c and 30c under Treasury Board Secretariat to the House.

At 1:17 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.



Michael MacPherson
Committee clerk