A government that struggles to deliver basic services thought it could build a killer app. The results were predictable

Remember that time the federal government tried to become an app developer?

On Monday, Auditor General Karen Hogan issued a scathing report on the federal government’s ArriveCAN app, which highlights the folly of a country that devalues entrepreneurship and relies instead on top-down government initiatives — and of a governing party whose only real skill is spending taxpayer dollars with reckless abandon.

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ArriveCAN was developed in the spring of 2020, with the intention of speeding up customs lines and ensuring compliance with pandemic restrictions by having passengers entering the country submit vaccination and other information before crossing the border.

Though much of the initial opposition to ArriveCAN came from people who were opposed to COVID restrictions of any kind, we have since learned that the app’s development was a case study in government mismanagement.

“Overall, this audit shows a glaring disregard for basic management and contracting practices,” Horgan told MPs on Monday .

The main takeaway is the app’s staggering cost. Initially budgeted at just $80,000, development costs soared to at least $59.5 million. The true price tag is likely much higher, but as the AG notes in her report, “The Canada Border Services Agency’s (CBSA) documentation, financial records and controls were so poor that we were unable to determine the precise cost.”

According to Horgan, many of the contracts were awarded without a competitive bidding process. Contractor invoices and time sheets were approved, even though........

© National Post