Auditor general will probe government contracts with ArriveCan app contractor

OTTAWA — The federal auditor general will probe all government contracts given to the company that was behind the controversial ArriveCan app.

The app was created during COVID-19 to allow Canadians returning to the country from confirm their vaccination status but opposition parties have heavily criticized the government for the $60-million price tag.

Auditor Karen Hogan already looked into the app’s development, concluding three departments lacked financial records to explain the cost and failed to deliver the best value for taxpayers.

Hogan is now going to look into all the government contracts awarded to GC Strategies, a company with two employees that was tasked by the federal government to assemble a team to complete some parts of the app’s development.

The company has been awarded more than $100 million in federal contracts overall, not just for ArriveCan.

In September the House of Commons unanimously agreed to ask Hogan to study all those contracts and Hogan has now agreed to do so.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2024.

Sarah Ritchie, The Canadian Press