The parliamentary hearings into the controversial $54 million ArriveCan app and its alleged contracting misconduct were abruptly halted by Liberal, Bloc Québécois, and NDP MPs. This unexpected move came after the emergence of a preliminary report by a federal investigator, which was described as “scary” by one Liberal MP. The report raised concerns that continuing the hearings could potentially jeopardize ongoing investigations by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the RCMP.
The focus of future committee meetings will now shift following this decision. The House of Commons committee on government operations has been investigating how the ArriveCan app’s cost escalated from an initial estimate of $80,000 to over $54 million.
During the hearings, Conservative MPs accused the Liberals of trying to cover up the scandal, particularly with an impending report from Auditor-General Karen Hogan on ArriveCan set to be released on February 12. This move sparked criticism from Stephanie Kusie and Larry Brock, emphasizing the need to uncover the truth behind these serious allegations against the Canadian government.
In addition to these developments, it was revealed that 1,700 emails related to ArriveCan funding and contracts were allegedly deleted by Minh Doan, former CBSA vice president and chief technology officer during the app’s creation. This revelation has further intensified discussions within the committee.
The findings in Lafleur’s report have led to suspensions within Health Canada and Canada Revenue Agency. NDP MP Taylor Bachrach supported halting hearings until ongoing CBSA and RCMP investigations conclude due to alarming information in Lafleur’s report. On the other hand, Chris Spiteri representing MacDonald and Utano criticized the report as a collection of “baseless accusations.”
Meanwhile, it has come to light that executives who worked on ArriveCan received $340,000 in bonuses from the federal government. These recent revelations continue to fuel skepticism around this scandal.
As this saga unfolds, it is clear that further investigation is needed despite claims from some quarters that there is nothing more to see. The ArriveCan app scandal continues to captivate attention, promising more twists and turns in the days ahead. Stay tuned for updates as this story continues to unfold!
