House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
CTV
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.
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.
British Columbia’s river forecaster has rescinded the high streamflow advisories that covered southern parts of the province after heavy rains last week.
It’s an extra long March Break for some students in Nova Scotia following a spring snowfall.
Ontario to seize ownership of Toronto Island Airport lands and declare it is a special economic zone
Premier Doug Ford says the provincial government will be seizing ownership of city-owned lands at Toronto’s Billy Bishop Airport and declaring it a special economic zone, invoking new powers that will allow it to override environmental and other regulations.
Saskatchewan’s highest court has dismissed an appeal in the case of a years-long land dispute between the Village of Buena Vista and local landowners.
A participant in the 18th Annual Montreal Lake Walleye Derby is alleged to have violated derby rules over the weekend.
Three byelections are being held on April 13 and the results could have an impact on both the makeup of Parliament and how long it lasts. Here’s a primer on how things could change.
A member of Manitoba’s government caucus and the first First Nations woman elected to the province’s legislature has died.
An Air Canada jet travelling from Montreal to New York City’s LaGuardia Airport Sunday night crashed into a fire truck after landing on a runway, killing the flight’s two pilots and injuring dozens of passengers. Follow for live updates.
Multiple people were forced out of their homes following a blaze at a Calgary five-plex on Monday.
Six people, including a baby, were taken to a southern Ontario hospital on Sunday after an SUV slammed into a GO Transit bus.
Londoners will need to bundle up to start the week, with a chilly and blustery Monday on tap.
A 15-year-old girl from Bridgewater, N.S., is scheduled to appear in court for a bail hearing today after alleged threats to schools in Nova Scotia and Manitoba.
Three byelections are being held on April 13 and the results could have an impact on both the makeup of Parliament and how long it lasts. Here’s a primer on how things could change.