Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre posted a petition on X that calls to fire Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over the costly ArriveCan app.
On Monday morning, Poilievre shared his petition claiming Trudeau “wasted $60 million on a failed app.”
The ArriveCan app, designed for travelers during the pandemic, sparked months of controversy and committee hearings after details of outlandish spending were revealed by The Globe and Mail last year.
Poilievre said the app was only supposed to cost $80,000 and that Trudeau is “not worth the cost or corruption.”
The petition also calls out Trudeau for seizing the freedoms of Canadians during the pandemic, violating charter rights to gain political leverage by freezing Freedom Convoy protesters’ bank accounts, and silencing independent media.
ArriveCAN audit exposes severe mismanagement under Trudeau Government
Poilievre’s petition comes after Canada’s Auditor General Karen Hogan provided a scathing critique of the federal government’s handling of the ArriveCAN app development, revealing a “glaring disregard” for fundamental management and contracting practices.
During a committee meeting where she was presenting her audit report on the app, Hogan said even basic documentation was lacking, leading to her inability to account for the project’s cost.
“This audit shows a glaring disregard for basic management and contracting practices throughout ArriveCAN’s development and implementation,” she told committee members.
Conservative MPs seized the opportunity to question Hogan about the implications of her findings, particularly focusing on whether Canadian taxpayers received value for money and the extent of the Trudeau government’s involvement in the project’s mismanagement.
Conservative MP Garnett Genuis expressed concerns about the cozy relationship between the Trudeau government and GC Strategies, the contractor for the ArriveCAN app.
“Your report reveals shocking details about cozy relationships…This company was actually involved in the development of the rules and requirements for making proposals,” Genius said.
In response to questions about the lack of proper documentation for gifts and hospitality from contractors, Auditor General Hogan admitted, “I’m sorry I don’t have exact figures at my hands… but we did see that it was more than one contractor who invited individuals in the branch that developed ArriveCAN.”
Genius asked Hogan how many public servants received gifts from GS Strategies contractors. “And also could you provide the committee with a list of names of those who offered and those who received these kinds of invitations?”
Hogan replied: “We’ll see what we can provide you.”
