A public spar breaks out between NDP and Liberals over $54 million ArriveCAN scam

Keeping in mind the current political turmoil, the liberals must be in crying their eyes out. They know they are holding on to power with the support of the New Democratic Party. But, what if the NDP breaks up with the Federal liberal party? Tussle is brewing up between the two allied parties and they don’t seem to be able to govern together. In recent times, there have been ample instances when both the parties were seen taking on each other. Cellular networks, inflated food prices, hefty party spendings and what not. But, this time ‘Arrive Can’ has become a serious bone of contention between them.

The contentious ‘Arrive Can’ app that was later proved to be a scandal is now under attack by the NDP leaders. On Wednesday, opposition MPs joined forces to approve a motion calling for an audit of the federal government’s ArriveCan.

Read More: Trudeau and Jagmeet could breakup over cellular networks

The motion, which was approved by a vote of 174 to 149, requests that the Auditor General of Canada “conduct a performance audit, including payments, contracts, and sub-contracts for all aspects of the ArriveCan app, and to prioritise this investigation.”

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre proposed the plan as his party’s newest opposition day motion. It is the second such motion to pass requesting the Auditor General to investigate ArriveCan, following the successful passage of a motion by NDP MP Gord Johns at the Government Operations and Estimates Committee for the audit into the costs of developing the app.

The app that was created as a tool for travellers to upload their required health information is now being brought into question by the opposition. But, what demands attention is that a few NDP leaders have also stood up against the federal government’s unjustified spending. They are now pushing for a probe concerning the app’s projected $54 million cost and the contracts given to construct and maintain it.

During Tuesday’s discussion, Bloc Quebecois and NDP MPs expressed concerns about the app’s usability and questioned why the federal government couldn’t design it domestically and more cost-effectively. After Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino defended the app’s procurement process during Tuesday’s debate, Liberal and Green MPs voted against the move. In the defence of the app, Mendicino stated that the costs for ArriveCan include both development and maintenance, and that a contract review is now underway.

While the motion is not legally obligatory, the office of Auditor General Karen Hogan told CTVNews.ca that when parliamentarians vote a motion requesting an audit, it “carries a substantial amount of weight as we identify the work that we will do.”

“The ultimate decision about what to audit rests with the Auditor General. Final decisions about what to audit are made in light of the OAG’s mandate, the significance of the issue, the existing audit schedule, and available resources,” said spokesperson for the Auditor General’s Office, Vincent Frigon.

Read More: ArriveCAN is a $54 million scam

In order to comply with COVID-19 requirements, the ArriveCan app was created as a tool for travellers to upload their required health information. Later on, it was expanded to allow users to answer customs and immigration questions up to 72 hours before flying into Canada.

According to an official report, the length of time it takes to conduct performance audits varies depending on their size and scope, and the audits scheduled to be presented to Parliament in the spring of 2023 are already “well started.”

The Canadian Prime Minister never gets enough of being at the centre of huge scandals. After the We Charity scandal, ArriveCan has again landed Trudeau in trouble. And as expected, no sign of accountability from the government is visible as of now. As a result, the bonhomie between the two allies might probably meet a dead end soon.

The situation is so grave that even his own allies have started putting fingers at Trudeau. In a rare occasion, the NDP has gone vocal against the Federal liberal party. The ArriveCan is seriously becoming a bone of contention between two allied parties which makes it obvious for us to believe that the country is about to land in a dire situation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zVe6QXW8xU