Don Martin: ArriveCan debacle may be even worse than we know from auditor's report
It’s been 22 years since a former auditor general blasted the Chrétien government after it “broke just about every rule in the book” in handing out private sector contracts in the sponsorship scandal.
The book has been broken anew.
In a rule-shredding repeat orbiting the dreaded ArriveCan app, Auditor-General Karen Hogan drew a paint by hefty numbers portrait of bureaucratic incompetence, dodged accountability and contractors treating Liberal government officials to fine whisky tastings.
What started out as a modest $80,000 piece of basic traveller-tracking software during the pandemic became a $60-million-plus boondoggle where juicy contracts were farmed out without competitive bidding to those without the skills or staff to deliver the goods.
The reviled ArriveCan app is a repressed memory for many travellers, who fought with the finicky technology while standing in customs lineups at airports or scrambled for Wi-Fi signals to fill it out at land border crossings.
But the auditor general’s detailed and damning analysis is the truly infuriating part of this technological ripoff. And Hogan says the worst may be in details she could not access.
Auditor general Karen Hogan responds to a question on her offices report during a news conference, Monday, February 12, 2024 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
For example, we still don’t know which bureaucrats handed out contracts to unqualified recipients, some without legitimate proposals to justify untendered money grabs, or why these specific companies received such special treatment.
No heads have rolled onto the unemployment rolls as a result of allegations dating back two years.
All we know is somehow GCStrategies, a two-person consulting firm based in a rural Ottawa Valley house, was able to write its own ticket to a $25-million contract despite having no hands-on expertise beyond knowing which bureaucratic backs to scratch.
In one case, they didn’t even have to submit a proposal. All they had to do was invite the decision makers to a whisky drinking event or a few dinners and the cheques fell into their lap.
But they were not alone. There were a number of companies, including the king of government contracts in KPMG, which received similar sweetheart procurements from velvet-gloved bureaucrats filled with blank pages where the detailed contract justifications should appear.
The faults and flaws which drove up contract prices were many and should’ve been easy to catch and fix.
The supervising power over procurement in Public Services did not review all the deals as one might expect.
In some cases, potential bidders drafted the terms of the contracts they would ultimately receive without any competition.
The lead agencies -- the Canadian Border Agency and the Public Health Agency -- each thought the other was taking the administrative lead so nobody was in charge.
Junior techs working the app were billing senior service rates and timesheets were not validated for work done, which helped inflate the daily pay rate to $1,090 per private tech employee versus $675 for an equivalent government worker.
What’s worse, if that’s possible, once the app was in operation it required a steady stream of major fixes, most of which were never tested before they were unleashed on the travelling public. In one case, the auditor general notes, that meant 10,000 fully vaccinated Canadians were needlessly quarantined by a glitch in the app.
It all reeks to high heaven and we don’t even have the kickers yet.
The results of an RCMP investigation are yet to come and there’s a bombshell report from the procurement ombudsman that was so "scary," MPs have deferred hearings on his findings.
While this brouhaha cannot be laid at the feet of the prime minister, it is symptomatic of what happens when a stale government sticks around long enough to develop excessively cozy connections with lobbyists and consultants.
While the size of the public service has ballooned under the Trudeau government, the use of private sector alternatives has kept pace at a tremendous cost to taxpayers.
The debacle behind the ArriveCan app is what happens when a government either loses faith in its own public servants -- or prefers working with silver-tongued friendlies lubricating deals with free whisky.
That’s the bottom line.
IN DEPTH
Budget 2024 prioritizes housing while taxing highest earners, deficit projected at $39.8B
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
'Democracy requires constant vigilance' Trudeau testifies at inquiry into foreign election interference in Canada
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau testified Wednesday before the national public inquiry into foreign interference in Canada's electoral processes, following a day of testimony from top cabinet ministers about allegations of meddling in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections. Recap all the prime minister had to say.
As Poilievre sides with Smith on trans restrictions, former Conservative candidate says he's 'playing with fire'
Siding with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on her proposed restrictions on transgender youth, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre confirmed Wednesday that he is against trans and non-binary minors using puberty blockers.
Supports for passengers, farmers, artists: 7 bills from MPs and Senators to watch in 2024
When parliamentarians return to Ottawa in a few weeks to kick off the 2024 sitting, there are a few bills from MPs and senators that will be worth keeping an eye on, from a 'gutted' proposal to offer a carbon tax break to farmers, to an initiative aimed at improving Canada's DNA data bank.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn’t be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
4th Indian national arrested, charged with murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Homicide investigators in B.C. say murder charges have been laid against a fourth Indian national in connection to the killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Surrey gurdwara last year.
'I am angry': Alberta farmers will continue fight over world class motorsport resort
The rolling hills leading to the hamlet of Rosebud are dotted with sprawling farms and cattle pastures -- and a sign sporting a simple message: No Race Track.
Man ticketed after allegedly trespassing again at Drake's Bridle Path mansion to get his bike
A man who tried to access Drake’s Bridle Path mansion earlier this week returned to the property Saturday and was apprehended again for allegedly trespassing, Toronto police say.
Couple randomly attacked, 1 stabbed, by group of teens in Toronto, police say
A man has been transported to hospital after police say he was stabbed in a random attack carried out by a group of teens in Toronto on Friday night.
Millions of Canadians have been exposed to potentially toxic chemicals, and they're not going anywhere
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
Biden calls Trump 'unhinged,' says 'something snapped' in former president after he lost 2020 U.S. election
U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday called Donald Trump “clearly unhinged” and claimed that “something snapped” in the former president after he lost the 2020 election.
Wildfire that forced evacuation of Fort Nelson, B.C., caused by tree falling on wires, mayor says
The wildfire that prompted the evacuation of more than 3,000 people near Fort Nelson, B.C., was caused by a tree falling on wires, according to the municipality's mayor.
Switzerland's Nemo wins 68th Eurovision Song Contest
Swiss singer Nemo won the 68th Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday night with 'The Code,' an operatic ode to the singer’s journey toward embracing their nongender identity.
IN PICTURES Northern lights dance across the night sky in southern Ont.
From London, to Grand Bend, Collingwood and Guelph, here are some highlights of Friday night and Saturday morning's northern lights display.
Local Spotlight
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
Wilfrid Laurier football player drafted despite only playing 27 games in his entire life
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.
Federal government bans watercraft from Manitoba lake popular with tourists
The threat of zebra mussels has prompted the federal government to temporarily ban watercraft from a Manitoba lake popular with tourists.
Toronto-area dessert shop featured by Keith Lee forced to move after zoning complaint
A small Ajax dessert shop that recently received a glowing review from celebrity food critic Keith Lee is being forced to move after a zoning complaint was made following the social media influencer’s visit last month.
'Oh Crap!' New exhibit at Canada Science and Technology Museum explores human waste
The Canada Science and Technology Museum is inviting visitors to explore their poop. A new exhibition opens at the Ottawa museum on Friday called, 'Oh Crap! Rethinking human waste.'
Regina police hope new biometric monitoring system will save lives in detention facility
The Regina Police Service says it is the first in Saskatchewan and possibly Canada to implement new technology in its detention facility that will offer real-time monitoring of detainees’ vital health metrics.
Her SUV was stolen in Montreal. A Good Samaritan on Facebook helped her get it back
Just as she had feared, a restaurant owner from eastern Quebec who visited Montreal had her SUV stolen, but says it was all thanks to the kindness of strangers on the internet — not the police — that she got it back.
Vancouver and Edmonton's mayors bet on who will win Round 2 of the playoffs. Here's what's at stake
The stakes have been set for a bet between Vancouver and Edmonton's mayors on who will win Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
'No other life taken': Mother leads ATV helmet drive to honour daughter's legacy
A grieving mother is hosting a helmet drive in the hopes of protecting children on Manitoba First Nations from a similar tragedy that killed her daughter.