House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
The all-party decision to force GC Strategies partner Kristian Firth to appear before the bar of the House of Commons – the brass rod extending across the floor of the Chamber barring those uninvited from passing – was made last week after some procedural deliberation and collaboration.
Firth took his place on the periphery of the House of Commons after question period, and was admonished by the Speaker for what MPs have deemed to be his "prevaricating" testimony before the committee probing the controversy surrounding the ArriveCan application.
A series of questions have been raised, damning reports issued, and further investigations have been sparked regarding improper contracting and management practices in connection with the contentious COVID-19-era border app.
GC Strategies was awarded the initial ArriveCan contract, and it has been reported that the company then went on to subcontract other companies to work on the app, while keeping a commission.
Firth, appearing before a House committee last month, testified that the heightened scrutiny, and what he alleged was inaccurate reporting about his company's involvement with the ArriveCan app, had led to threats against him and his family.
Just as successive rounds of questioning by MPs from all parties was to begin, acrimony arose over whether Firth, accompanied by his lawyer, was medically cleared to face questioning.
After Firth cited "mental health flare-ups," Government House Leader Steven MacKinnon said Liberals didn't think it was appropriate to question him, but ultimately, proceedings continued with an understanding that the House would allow occasional pauses, if required.
The Liberals, Conservatives, Bloc Quebecois and NDP each had two 10-minute rounds, followed by a third round of five-minute questioning periods, including the Green MPs. However, the Liberals opted out, citing concerns over Firth's mental health.
"On this side of the House, we do not believe that it is appropriate," MacKinnon said. Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet also expressed some misgivings about the partisan nature of some of the Conservatives' questions.
MPs summonsed Firth with the intent of eliciting the information they feel he has, to-date, failed to provide, in part out of his refusal to answer certain questions, citing other ongoing probes.
On Wednesday, Firth acknowledged he may not have previously answered questions "correctly," and that some of his responses "may have been obtuse," but he was not intentionally trying to evade MPs.
"Acknowledging the fact that I'm being admonished, making history right now, I think I have acknowledged the fact that I made mistakes in previous committees," he said.
He also disclosed that GC Strategies has not been asked to pay any money back.
Auditor General Karen Hogan has said Canadians "paid too much" for the app, even though she could not establish whether the estimated $59.5-million price tag amounts to the true cost, on account of poor record keeping by the various departments involved.
In that report, Hogan also raised questions about GC Strategies' involvement in setting the requirements used for a contract, valued at $25 million, that was later awarded to Firth's firm.
Firth offered some names in relation to this, and disclosed that he does socialize with federal workers, while stating he does not think he influenced the awarding of any contracts.
As attendance in the House whittled, ultimately, his final exchange may have been the most telling.
"Aren't you ashamed?" asked the Green party's Elizabeth May.
"Mr. Speaker, do I have to answer that?" Firth asked.
"Yes, yes you do," Fergus replied.
In his final words to the House before being escorted out by the Sergeant-at-Arms, Firth said "no, I am not ashamed."
RCMP confirms search warrant
The questioning took place just as the RCMP confirmed to media that the day prior it had executed a search warrant at an address registered to Firth.
The search warrant was executed Tuesday by the RCMP's Sensitive and International Investigations unit, at a home in Woodlawn, Ont., west of Ottawa.
An RCMP spokesperson said the search was not related to an ongoing ArriveCan investigation, and that the national police force would not provide the name of the business or people involved to protect the privacy of the persons at the residence.
"As the investigation is ongoing and there are no charges at this time, there will be no further information provided," the RCMP spokesperson said.
The RCMP has previously confirmed it is "investigating a matter referred from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) that is based on allegations brought to their attention by Botler AI," a firm that did not work on ArriveCan, but raised flags about related contracting practices.
However, RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme has indicated that the ArriveCan investigation is an expansion of the initial matter referred to them by the CBSA.
Conservative MP Michael Barrett asked Firth about the RCMP probes, to which he said that he had only been contacted by the police regarding the Botler AI matter.
Firth said that in regards to the search, there was a warrant "for my property to obtain electronic goods surrounding the Botler allegations," and that while he was aware of the search, he was not on the premises when it was done and is unaware of what material may have been taken.
"We encourage the RCMP, their investigation into the Botler [AI] allegations … because we believe it is going to exonerate us," Firth said.
Everything Firth said as part of Wednesday's proceedings is protected by parliamentary privilege and cannot be used against him in any other forums.
First in more than 100 years
MPs agreeing to find Firth in contempt of Parliament and ordering him to both appear and face questions will go down in the history books, as it's a measure that has so seldom been used.
The last time MPs summonsed an individual was in 2021, when the then-head of the Public Health Agency of Canada was scolded for failing to turn over documents related to the Winnipeg lab affair.
Prior to that, according to the House of Commons, the last time a private citizen was admonished and questioned under the authority of the House was more than 100 years ago.
In 1913, R.C. Miller – a witness before the public accounts committee – refused to answer questions related to allegations about bribes for government contracts. Ultimately, MPs in Miller's case ordered that he should be imprisoned.
In a brief statement off the top, House of Commons Speaker Greg Fergus reflected on the historic nature of this moment.
"The privileges of the House of Commons are enshrined… This includes the right to institute inquiries and to require the attendance of witnesses," Fergus said.
"These privileges, enjoyed by the House collectively and by members individually, are essential in the discharge of our duties. The House has the power, and indeed the obligation, to reaffirm them when obstruction or interference impedes the House's proceedings… For all these reasons, on behalf of the House of Commons, I admonish you."
The motion adjudicating Wednesday's admonishment notes that following his grilling, the government operations committee will be tasked with reviewing Firth's testimony and "if necessary, recommend further action."
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
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
BREAKING Suter scores late goal, clinches series for Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are moving on to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
Local Spotlight
Twin Alberta Ballet dancers retire after 15 years with company
Alberta Ballet's double-bill production of 'Der Wolf' and 'The Rite of Spring' marks not only its final show of the season, but the last production for twin sisters Alexandra and Jennifer Gibson.
B.C. mayor stripped of budget, barred from committees over Indigenous residential schools book
A British Columbia mayor has been censured by city council – stripping him of his travel and lobbying budgets and removing him from city committees – for allegedly distributing a book that questions the history of Indigenous residential schools in Canada.
Three Quebec men from same family father hundreds of children
Three men in Quebec from the same family have fathered more than 600 children.
Here's how one of Sask.'s largest power plants was knocked out for 73 days, and what it took to fix it
A group of SaskPower workers recently received special recognition at the legislature – for their efforts in repairing one of Saskatchewan's largest power plants after it was knocked offline for months following a serious flood last summer.
Quebec police officer anonymously donates kidney, changes schoolteacher's life
A police officer on Montreal's South Shore anonymously donated a kidney that wound up drastically changing the life of a schoolteacher living on dialysis.
Canada's oldest hat store still going strong after 90 years
Since 1932, Montreal's Henri Henri has been filled to the brim with every possible kind of hat, from newsboy caps to feathered fedoras.
Road closed in Oak Bay, B.C., so elephant seal can cross
Police in Oak Bay, B.C., had to close a stretch of road Sunday to help an elephant seal named Emerson get safely back into the water.
B.C. breweries take home awards at World Beer Cup
Out of more than 9,000 entries from over 2,000 breweries in 50 countries, a handful of B.C. brews landed on the podium at the World Beer Cup this week.
Kitchener family says their 10-year-old needs life-saving drug that cost $600,000
Raneem, 10, lives with a neurological condition and liver disease and needs Cholbam, a medication, for a longer and healthier life.