The $60 million ArriveCan app scandal continues to get juicier by the week, as now, we’re seeing Kristian Firth from firm GC Strategies refuse to answer questions after being summoned to a committee.
Firth was censured by the Commons Government Operations Committee for his refusal to reveal names associated with a lucrative contract for the failed ArriveCan app program. Censure is essentially a formal disapproval from the committee.
He faced intense pressure from MPs to identify a federal manager who reportedly allowed him to set the terms of his contract.
Firth had to testify for four hours under oath after ignoring previous summonses, risked being taken into custody by the Commons Sergeant-at-Arms. The committee unanimously decided to censure him for his “refusal to answer those questions which the committee agreed to put to him,” and his evident “prevarication in answering” questions about the controversial pandemic-era surveillance app, reports the Western Standard.
Committee chair, Conservative MP Kelly McCauley, warned that Firth’s uncooperative behaviour could result in a contempt of House charge, noting, “Refusal to answer questions or failure to reply truthfully may give rise to a charge of contempt in the House.”
GC Strategies had secured a $25.3 million contract in 2022, standing out among 40 competitors, a deal marked by “overly restrictive” terms, as pointed out by a January 29 report from the Procurement Ombudsman.
In a probing inquiry, Conservative MP Kelly Block asked Firth, “Who did you sit at the table with?” Firth evaded, responding, “Apologies, I have to speak with my lawyer.”
Block pressed further about Firth’s foreknowledge of securing the contract, to which Firth deflected, “That’s your words not mine. I am just saying right now as a result of this being pushed to the RCMP with all efforts of the committee behind it, unfortunately I cannot comment on an ongoing RCMP investigation.”
GC Strategies accumulated $107.7 million in contracts before being suspended. Defiantly and shockingly, Firth claimed under oath, “For the last month virtually everything reported about my company in the media and stated about me and my company has been false.”
“Everybody is lying and saying mean things about you. The media’s wrong, the MPs are wrong. You’re also now saying the Auditor General is wrong. What are we as a committee to make of the fact you want us to believe everybody is wrong?”, said Conservative MP Garnett Genuis replying to Firth.
Conservative MP Michael Barrett blasted Firth, saying, “You are here only under the threat of arrest.” Barrett further accused Firth of misunderstanding the process and showing contempt of Parliament.
Firth confirmed he met privately with key government officials, contradicting earlier statements. This led Barrett to label him a pathological liar. “You have lied before a parliamentary committee on multiple occasions,” Barrett asserted.
He criticized Firth for exploiting Canadians, saying, “They are lined up at food banks in record numbers and you are raking in millions off the backs of Canadians. Then when you are called to provide even just the smallest bit of accountability you laugh in Canadians’ faces. It’s disgusting.” Firth, faced with these allegations, had nothing to say.
Check out a recap of the committee testimony below:
It's not every day that you get a clear view straight into the murky depths of the swamp, but ladies and gentlemen, the last two days at the OGGO committee with GC Strategies' own Darren Anthony and Kristian Firth were nothing short of a political circus, a real exhibition of the… pic.twitter.com/S4GKTvFmAF
— Dan Knight (@DanKnightMMA) March 15, 2024
