RCMP examining auditor general’s report into ArriveCAN process failures

The RCMP says it’s examining the auditor general’s scathing report earlier into the federal government’s management of the ArriveCan app, which found 'repeated' failures. 

The RCMP says it’s examining the auditor general’s scathing report earlier this week into the federal government’s management of the ArriveCAN app, which found “repeated” failures.

Auditor general Karen Hogue appeared before a parliamentary committee Wednesday and said she met with the RCMP before her report was released and “talked to them in generalities about our findings” because they had not yet been made public.

Her report released Monday outlined “glaring disregard for basic management and contracting practices” and called the pandemic-era program one of the worst examples of financial record keeping she has ever seen.

Hogue estimates the price tag was roughly $59.5 million, but said the project was so badly managed it’s impossible to know the final cost.

In a statement Wednesday evening, RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Kim Chamberland said the Mounties are “assessing the available information, including the Auditor General’s performance audit report and will take appropriate action.”

At Wednesday’s parliamentary committee, Hogan told MPs she did not refer allegations related to ArriveCAN to the RCMP because the national police force already had an investigation underway.

“This was a bit of an unusual situation,” the auditor general said. “The RCMP was already potentially looking at a matter related to contracting from the (Canada Border Services Agency).”

The RCMP has not confirmed whether it’s probing ArriveCAN specifically, only that it’s “investigating a matter referred from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) based on allegations brought to their attention by Botler AI.”