MP who carried water in Arrivescam cover-up promoted to labour minister
Gatineau MP Steve MacKinnon will replace Seamus O’Regan as Labour Minister, following his resignation from cabinet Thursday.
MacKinnon most recently served as the interim government House leader while MP Karina Gould was on maternity leave. He has served as a Liberal MP since 2015.
O’Regan announced he would not seek re-election, promptly resigning from cabinet for family reasons. He stays on as MP for St. John South-Mount pearl in Newfoundland and Labrador.
MP MacKinnon recently made headlines after Liberal MPs refused asking tough questions to an Arrivescam contractor. Kristian Firth is one of two employees at GC Strategies, and the chief witness into "irregularities" of the pandemic application.
On April 17, MacKinnon told Parliament that Firth, the co-founder of GC Strategies, was “too mentally unwell” to testify on his involvement in the app’s development. The firm subcontracted all IT work on the application.
LIBERAL COVER UP: Steven MacKinnon, Liberal government house leader, tells the House of Commons that Kristian Firth is too mentally unwell to testify about his involvement in Arrivescam.
— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) April 17, 2024
Then he blames the Conservatives for forcing Firth to testify - although it cuts out in the… pic.twitter.com/ehzzDH4IdT
“Mr. Firth informed the House as to whether he consulted with a medical professional prior to his appearance today regarding answering questions from the House,” he told MPs then.
The contractor claimed to be afflicted by “acute mental health flare-ups.” He received medical advice not to “participate in any activity that would call any undue stress.”
MacKinnon considered it improper to question Firth since he claimed to be under a doctor’s care. Opposition MPs said the contractor made similar medical claims to avoid committee summonses over the past seven months.
Firth, the recipient of $19.1 million for the pandemic tool, received 139 questions from opposition MPs at the time. He would pause occasionally to whisper to his counsel.
No Liberal MPs questioned the contractor.. “You’re a bunch of heartless people,” shouted one Liberal MP.
