MPs on the Commons Government Operations Committee on Tuesday agreed to pursue the destruction of federal emails with ArriveCan contractors. One Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) executive destroyed records sought under Access To Information, a jailing offence if proven deliberate, per Blacklock’s Reporter. “We must get to the bottom of finding out what happened,” said Conservative MP Stephanie Kusie.“We don’t know what was in this file. We don’t know what information we don’t have.”Newly-disclosed records show the chief information officer with the CBSA responsible for ArriveCan contracting reported the accidental destruction of his emails three days after being ordered to produce the records under Access To Information. The executive testified he was changing batteries in his laptop when “files were corrupted and the emails were lost.”“Something happened here,” said Kusie. “The chief information officer with the agency conveniently had his files corrupted days after they were sought under the Access To Information Act.”Deliberately destroying any records sought under the Act is punishable by jailing. Section 67.1.1 of the act states: “No person with intent to deny a right of access under this Act shall destroy, mutilate or alter a record.” The maximum penalty is a $10,000 fine and two years’ jail.MPs endorsed a Conservative motion to cross-examine the president of the CBSA over the incident. Liberal MPs questioned what the committee hoped to find. “There is nothing much more here,” said MP Charles Sousa, parliamentary secretary for public works.Conservative MP Kelly Block said taxpayers were owed an explanation. “Clear up the confusion that there seems to be as a result of the ArriveCan incident and the discrepancy we have heard,” said Block.Auditor General Karen Hogan in February 12 testimony at the Commons Public Accounts Committee said irregularities in ArriveCan contracting were “the worst I have seen.” Auditors found crucial records had vanished.“I am deeply concerned,” said Hogan. “We did not find records to accurately show how much was spent on what, who did the work or how and why contracting decisions were made.”“The bookkeeping I looked at is the worst I have seen.”Auditors estimated ArriveCan cost taxpayers $59.5 million but cautioned they were “were unable to calculate the exact cost” due to missing paperwork.
MPs on the Commons Government Operations Committee on Tuesday agreed to pursue the destruction of federal emails with ArriveCan contractors. One Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) executive destroyed records sought under Access To Information, a jailing offence if proven deliberate, per Blacklock’s Reporter. “We must get to the bottom of finding out what happened,” said Conservative MP Stephanie Kusie.“We don’t know what was in this file. We don’t know what information we don’t have.”Newly-disclosed records show the chief information officer with the CBSA responsible for ArriveCan contracting reported the accidental destruction of his emails three days after being ordered to produce the records under Access To Information. The executive testified he was changing batteries in his laptop when “files were corrupted and the emails were lost.”“Something happened here,” said Kusie. “The chief information officer with the agency conveniently had his files corrupted days after they were sought under the Access To Information Act.”Deliberately destroying any records sought under the Act is punishable by jailing. Section 67.1.1 of the act states: “No person with intent to deny a right of access under this Act shall destroy, mutilate or alter a record.” The maximum penalty is a $10,000 fine and two years’ jail.MPs endorsed a Conservative motion to cross-examine the president of the CBSA over the incident. Liberal MPs questioned what the committee hoped to find. “There is nothing much more here,” said MP Charles Sousa, parliamentary secretary for public works.Conservative MP Kelly Block said taxpayers were owed an explanation. “Clear up the confusion that there seems to be as a result of the ArriveCan incident and the discrepancy we have heard,” said Block.Auditor General Karen Hogan in February 12 testimony at the Commons Public Accounts Committee said irregularities in ArriveCan contracting were “the worst I have seen.” Auditors found crucial records had vanished.“I am deeply concerned,” said Hogan. “We did not find records to accurately show how much was spent on what, who did the work or how and why contracting decisions were made.”“The bookkeeping I looked at is the worst I have seen.”Auditors estimated ArriveCan cost taxpayers $59.5 million but cautioned they were “were unable to calculate the exact cost” due to missing paperwork.
