Minh Doan, chief federal technology officer, yesterday was threatened with contempt of Parliament over evasive testimony regarding the $54 million ArriveCan app. Doan in two hours of cross-examination at the Commons government operations committee “struggled to give direct answers to simple questions”, said one MP.

“Refusal to answer questions or failure to reply may result in a charge of contempt,” said Conservative MP Kelly McCauley (Edmonton West), committee chair. “This has been repeated to you several times.”

“There have been a lot of direct questions,” said Chair McCauley. “I normally don’t do this but there have been very specific questions and we’d like very specific answers. Taxpayers deserve that. Canadians deserve that. Parliament deserves that.”