RCMP investigates Trudeau’s $60 million ArriveCAN boondoggle

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police confirmed in a Feb. 21, 2024 letter to Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre that it is investigating the Trudeau government’s ArriveCAN scandal. 

"BREAKING: RCMP letter to Common Sense Conservatives confirms Mounties officially investigating Trudeau's #ArriveScam," Poilievre posted.

RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme wrote that the national police force is "assessing all available information, including the Auditor General’s performance audit report and will take appropriate action."

Both the House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Accounts and Government Operations are examining how the ArriveCan app went from an estimated cost of $80,000 to at least $60 million. 

Federal Auditor General Karen Hogan eviscerated the Trudeau government’s handling of the project, noting that "The Canada Border Services Agency’s documentation, financial records, and controls were so poor that we were unable to determine the precise cost of the ArriveCAN application. Using the information that was available, we estimated the cost at approximately $59.5 million."

During Tuesday’s Question Period in the House of Commons, Poilievre noted the investigation and asked whether Prime Minister Justin Trudeau planned to fully cooperate with it. 

"This prime minister is not worth the cost or the corruption. Today Conservatives got a letter from the commissioner of the RCMP indicating that the national police force is now formally investigating the Arrivescam and the auditor general's report into it. Now we know … that the government deprived the auditor general of of key documents to calculate the full cost and the breadth of the scandal," Poilievre said.

"We also know that the Prime Minister refused to hand over documents in the SNC Lavalin and the Aga Khan Island scandals. Will the Prime Minister commit here and now to giving the RCMP all the documents and evidence on Arrivescam?"

Trudeau was absent from the House of Commons, leaving Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc to answer the question:

"Mr. Speaker, again the leader of the Opposition seems to be impressed with some information that's been known in the public space for many weeks. The RCMP have confirmed previously that they're looking into the circumstances around ArriveCAN," said LeBlanc.

"We have total confidence in the RCMP to do this important work. I'll remind the leader of the opposition that the president of the Border Services Agency referred these questions proactively to the RCMP, and we'll continue to do whatever we need to do, Mr. Speaker,  to cooperate with the national police force and every other ongoing investigation.

LeBlanc’s reference to other ongoing investigations, prompted Poilievre to ask how many investigations the Trudeau government was currently experiencing.