Evidence of meeting #36 for Government Operations and Estimates in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was smes.
A recording is available from Parliament.
11:10 a.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Information Technology Services Branch, Department of Public Works and Government Services
There are a lot of questions there. I'll try to--
11:10 a.m.
Bloc
Diane Bourgeois Bloc Terrebonne—Blainville, QC
Please explain this to me in two or three minutes. It shouldn't take you long to do that, Mr. Poole.
11:10 a.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Information Technology Services Branch, Department of Public Works and Government Services
I am prepared to commit to bringing the entire approach to this committee or any association. I think that's very important, because we are in a consultation phase.
I'd like to make one statement that is extremely important. It's important to do this right, and I really appreciate the committee's concern here. We want to do it right, but right now, for the network services, we do not believe there's the impact the previous witnesses talked about to the small and medium-sized enterprises. But we are absolutely willing to consult and confirm.
On your specific question around a moratorium, my colleague Madame Saint Pierre was very clear that we will go into a formal consultation process, and we will not proceed until that consultation process has been finalized.
11:10 a.m.
Bloc
Diane Bourgeois Bloc Terrebonne—Blainville, QC
I very much appreciate your candidness.
Madam Chair, I would like to move a motion, a copy of which I have handed to the clerk. I ask that all committee members support this motion.
11:10 a.m.
Bloc
Diane Bourgeois Bloc Terrebonne—Blainville, QC
The motion, which is in both French and English, reads as follows:
That the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates recommend to the government to postpone the implementation of its policy aimed at bundling the procurement of IT products and services...
And since these individuals are closely associated with CGI, I added the following:
...and that the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner investigate the allegations of TPG Technology Consulting and its President Donald R. Powell.
That is the motion I wish to move.
11:10 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Diane Marleau
By the way, I want you to know that in handwriting below is the corrected translation of the motion in English. The English was not right on, I gather. That's what I've been told.
Is there any debate on the motion?
Next is Mr. Angus, then Mr. Moore, Mr. Albrecht, Mr. Kramp, and Mr. Albrecht.
11:10 a.m.
NDP
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
Thank you.
I very much appreciate my colleague bringing forward this motion. I had a similar motion. However, I would make two suggestions. I think the two issues are separate from each other and shouldn't be in the same motion. We should debate them separately. But given what Mr. Poole just said, we might be better served by saying we accept the offer of Public Works and Government Services to bring forward an action plan to the committee before moving forward with any plan for IT bundling. That's something we hadn't heard before until the last question.
If we have that, then it's incumbent upon us to allow the consultation process to go through and then review it, as opposed to saying we should cancel the consultation process now.
11:10 a.m.
NDP
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
I think things have shifted because of the offer that was just mentioned in the last round of questioning. I would feel a lot more comfortable knowing the big picture. I don't want to pre-judge anything. If we have a big picture brought back to us, I'm certainly willing to accept that. If we don't have a big picture, I would definitely side with Madame Bourgeois and say we have grave concerns here.
I put that out for discussion. Maybe we can move forward.
11:15 a.m.
Conservative
James Moore Conservative Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC
These are two entirely separate issues that have been welded together for reasons that are foreign to me. I agree with what Charlie just said.
By the way, can we dismiss the witnesses?
11:15 a.m.
Conservative
James Moore Conservative Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC
We don't need to take up their time.
11:15 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Diane Marleau
You don't need to keep sitting here during the debate on the motion. You're free to listen, though.
11:15 a.m.
Conservative
James Moore Conservative Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC
I promise you, it's not Jefferson and Madison.
11:15 a.m.
Conservative
James Moore Conservative Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC
These are two entirely separate issues. Even if TPG is an issue according to the Ethics Commissioner, she reports to the ethics committee, not to government operations.
We have an issue here that is not the purview of this committee, and then we have two issues that are entirely separate being mixed together. This was written prior to the department officials saying they're going to put an action plan before this committee with regard to broader consultations, and the RFP is not going to be issued until next year. So this is rather hyperkinetic.
11:15 a.m.
Bloc
Diane Bourgeois Bloc Terrebonne—Blainville, QC
I was expecting a little more attention to be on Mr. Powell and TPG this morning. I would be amenable to deleting the last three lines of the motion. However, I would keep the first part because...
11:15 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Diane Marleau
Is everybody in accordance with her removing...? We have to have unanimous consent, because it has been proposed that we remove the three last lines of her motion.
11:15 a.m.
Conservative
James Moore Conservative Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC
It's her motion. She can go ahead and do with it whatever.