Canadian leaders demand probe into vaccine passport corruption

Canada’s Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre Tuesday called for a major investigation into a report which found that government officials may have used the country’s ArriveCAN vaccine passport mobile app for corrupt aims.

During the pandemic, all those entering Canada had to first register their vaccination status on ArriveCAN. A recent report from Canada’s Auditor General revealed that while the app was initially given a budget of C$80,000 ($59,265), it funneled C$59.5 million ($44,079,000) in taxpayer funds.

A third of these funds went to a company called GC Strategies, an IT staffing firm with two employees which received nearly C$20 million ($14.8 million) just for subcontracting out the work on the app. The report also found that those who were contracted to work on the app did no work at all, according to Rebel News. 

When the app was completed, GC Strategies hosted an “ArriveCAN Whiskey Tasting” for connected government officials in Ottawa while Ontario residents were still under harsh lockdown orders. Government authorities also reportedly joined in extravagant dinners to celebrate ArriveCAN. These events were paid for by lobbyists and private interest groups, though they were not disclosed. 

The total cost of the app, however, can only be estimated at this point, largely due to poor record-keeping by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). 

Furthermore, the app was considered a failure. Poilievre pointed out that 10,000 Canadians were mistakenly forced into quarantine because of the app.

“This is completely unacceptable and reeks of corruption at the highest levels,” the Conservative Party leader wrote to RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme, whom he asked to “expand your existing criminal investigation” into the scandal.

“Alarmingly, there was little documentation to support how and why GC Strategies was awarded the initial ArriveCAN contract through a non-competitive process,” he continued.

“In short, millions of taxpayer dollars were wasted by Trudeau government officials who rigged the contracting process for a preferred company.”

CBSA officials Cameron MacDonald and Antonio Utano were suspended without pay last month following the report, though Conservative leaders suggest they are whistleblowers and the suspensions are an attempt to silence them.