$273 MILLION GUN REGISTRY CONTRACT: WHAT’S THE BIG SECRET?
“After the Auditor General told them not to, why are the Liberals still keeping Parliament in the dark about the true cost of the firearms program?"

Ottawa – Saskatchewan M.P. Garry Breitkreuz and the Conservative Firearms Critic, is fuming over the secrecy surrounding a $273 million dollar contract amendment awarded by the Canada Firearms Centre. After being alerted by a public servant about the contract awarded to two private companies, Breitkreuz asked the Library of Parliament for details, but the Library was stonewalled by the Canada Firearms Centre. “Here’s a private contract worth more than a quarter of a billion dollars and the bureaucrats in charge of the firearms fiasco tell the Library of Parliament that they would have to file an Access to Information Act (ATI) request to get any details at all about the contract. Usually, the Liberals announce such major spending programs with a major news release and a photo-op. Why not this time?” wondered Breitkreuz.

“Even though this contract was awarded in March 2005, the government failed to report it in this year’s Estimates documents tabled in Parliament,” reported Breitkreuz. “Nor was it reported by the Canada Firearms Centre (CFC) or Treasury Board on their Disclosure of Contracts websites.” The CFC’s Report on Plans and Priorities provided a revised estimate of $73.9 million for the Information System Redesign Project and planned spending for 2005-2006 was reported at just $16.5 million but nothing for the next two years. “Every Parliamentarian should be up in arms until we find out where this $273 million contract fits into the Liberal’s grand gun registration scheme.”

WHAT LITTLE WE KNOW SO FAR

(1) Contract Amendment #19162-000860/002/XI - 004 in the amount of $273,169,216, awarded on March 23, 2005, to CGI Information Systems and Management Consultants Inc. and BDP Business Data Services Limited [now known as Resolve Corporation], a Joint Venture, awarded by the Department of Public Works and Government Services for the Client: CANADA FIREARMS CENTRE.

(2) This contract was found only in the Contracts Canada database. (http://csi.contractscanada.gc.ca/csi/prod/en/applctrl.cfm?cmd=start)

(3) This contract isn’t listed in the Disclosure of Contracts reports for the CFC. (http://www.cfc-ccaf.gc.ca/about-nous/contracts/reports_e.asp).

(4) This contract isn’t listed in the Treasury Board of Canada's Disclosure of Contracts reports. (http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pd-dp/dc/index_e.asp)

(5) On October 14, 2005, Mary-Anne Ruedl of the Canada Firearms Centre, told the Library of Parliament that information on the contract between CFC and CGI-BDP/Resolve must be requested through an Access to Information Act request.

“Until we see what kind of response we get to our ATI requests and Order Paper Question, I guess we’ll just add this contract to the growing list of Liberal secrets on the firearms file including: enforcement costs, compliance costs, economic costs and the cost-benefit analysis,” concluded Breitkreuz.

October 18, 2005 - Breitkreuz’s Order Paper Question Q-223
http://www.cssa-cila.org/garryb/inthehouse/Questions/05_oct18.htm

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Le 19 octobre 2005 - CONTRAT DE 273 M$ POUR LE REGISTRE DES ARMES À FEU: POURQUOI TOUT CE SECRET?