Speech (House debate)

{
    "time": "2023-11-22 19:45:00",
    "attribution": {
        "en": "Mr. Charles Sousa (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement, Lib.)",
        "fr": "M. Charles Sousa (secr\u00e9taire parlementaire du ministre des Services publics et de l\u2019Approvisionnement, Lib.)"
    },
    "content": {
        "en": "<p data-HoCid=\"8054554\" data-originallang=\"en\">Madam Speaker, as previously indicated in the House, we take these allegations seriously. As the member is aware, a matter is under investigation by the RCMP, and we have full confidence in our national law enforcement agency. Let us be clear about what the RCMP commissioner stated on October 23 of this year:</p>\n<blockquote><p data-HoCid=\"8697925\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Contrary to public reporting, the RCMP is not investigating the ArriveCAN matter. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8697926\" data-originallang=\"en\"> The confusion may arise from the fact that we are investigating a file...based on allegations brought...by Botler AI. </p>\n</blockquote><p data-HoCid=\"8697927\" data-originallang=\"en\">We trust that the RCMP will pursue the investigation with integrity, and that, should the RCMP find any wrongdoing in the matter, it will pursue any charges as appropriate.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8054555\" data-originallang=\"en\">Additionally, the CBSA has launched its own internal audit, even though GC Strategies and Botler AI did not have a contract with the government. Notwithstanding that, it is important for the CBSA to review its contracting and provide more rigour in the procurement process, in part by increasing oversight of the granting of contracts and of those who hold contracting authority. In the meantime, the CBSA has suspended some of its existing contracts until the agency gets further clarity on the facts. Although the allegations and investigations are not specific to ArriveCAN, we recognize they may also yield findings relevant to that procurement.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8054556\" data-originallang=\"en\">Members may know that the CBSA and the Public Health Agency of Canada have also been engaged with the Office of the Auditor General on a performance audit of ArriveCAN. We await the Auditor General's findings and recommendations.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8054557\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Once again, we will respond to all findings and ensure that any acts of wrongdoing have consequences.</p>",
        "fr": "<p data-HoCid=\"8054554\" data-originallang=\"en\">Madame la Pr\u00e9sidente, comme il a d\u00e9j\u00e0 \u00e9t\u00e9 dit \u00e0 la Chambre, nous prenons ces all\u00e9gations au s\u00e9rieux. Comme le d\u00e9put\u00e9 le sait, l'affaire fait actuellement l'objet d'une enqu\u00eate men\u00e9e par la GRC, et nous avons pleinement confiance dans notre service de police nationale. Soyons clairs: le 23 octobre dernier, le commissaire de la GRC a affirm\u00e9:</p>\n<blockquote><p data-HoCid=\"8697925\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Contrairement \u00e0 ce qui a \u00e9t\u00e9 rapport\u00e9 dans les m\u00e9dias, la GRC n'enqu\u00eate pas sur ArriveCAN. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8697926\" data-originallang=\"en\"> La confusion d\u00e9coule peut-\u00eatre du fait que nous enqu\u00eatons sur une affaire [...] \u00e0 la suite d'all\u00e9gations [...] soulev\u00e9es par Botler AI. </p>\n</blockquote><p data-HoCid=\"8697927\" data-originallang=\"en\">Nous sommes persuad\u00e9s que la GRC m\u00e8nera l'enqu\u00eate avec int\u00e9grit\u00e9 et que, si elle d\u00e9couvre tout acte r\u00e9pr\u00e9hensible dans cette affaire, elle portera les accusations appropri\u00e9es.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8054555\" data-originallang=\"en\">De plus, l'Agence des services frontaliers du Canada a lanc\u00e9 sa propre v\u00e9rification interne, m\u00eame si GC Strategies et Botler AI n'avaient pas de contrat avec le gouvernement. Il est n\u00e9anmoins important que l'Agence passe en revue ses contrats et fasse preuve de plus de rigueur dans le processus d'approvisionnement, notamment en am\u00e9liorant les m\u00e9canismes de surveillance de l'octroi des contrats et des personnes ayant le pouvoir de conclure des march\u00e9s. Entretemps, l'Agence a suspendu une partie des contrats existants jusqu'\u00e0 ce qu'elle obtienne des pr\u00e9cisions sur les faits. M\u00eame si les all\u00e9gations et les enqu\u00eates ne portent pas sp\u00e9cifiquement sur ArriveCAN, nous sommes conscients qu'elles pourraient mener \u00e0 des conclusions pertinentes pour ce processus d'approvisionnement.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8054556\" data-originallang=\"en\">Les d\u00e9put\u00e9s savent peut-\u00eatre que l'Agence des services frontaliers du Canada et l'Agence de la sant\u00e9 publique du Canada ont \u00e9galement collabor\u00e9 avec le Bureau du v\u00e9rificateur g\u00e9n\u00e9ral \u00e0 une v\u00e9rification de gestion d'ArriveCAN. On attend les conclusions et les recommandations de la v\u00e9rificatrice g\u00e9n\u00e9rale \u00e0 cet \u00e9gard.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8054557\" data-originallang=\"en\">Comme je l'ai dit, nous donnerons suite \u00e0 toutes les conclusions et veillerons \u00e0 ce que tout acte r\u00e9pr\u00e9hensible ait des cons\u00e9quences.</p>"
    },
    "url": "/debates/2023/11/22/charles-sousa-1/",
    "politician_url": "/politicians/charles-sousa/",
    "politician_membership_url": "/politicians/memberships/4653/",
    "procedural": false,
    "source_id": "12454565",
    "h1": {
        "en": "Adjournment Proceedings",
        "fr": "Motion d'ajournement"
    },
    "h2": {
        "en": "Public Services and Procurement",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "document_url": "/debates/2023/11/22/",
    "related": {
        "document_speeches_url": "/speeches/?document=%2Fdebates%2F2023%2F11%2F22%2F"
    }
}