Public Accounts committee  I did not want to invest a million dollars in a move. I wanted to use the money to help companies create jobs and generate economic growth.

Public Accounts committee  No, I did not know, but if I may, Mr. Chairman...

Public Accounts committee  No, that's news to me. I really did not know. Nobody came to see me. I learned about it from my deputy minister. You must realize that when a lease ends, Public Works and Government Services Canada must automatically initiate a tendering process. That's what I understood. The lease was up, and Public Works and Government Services Canada initiated a tendering process.

Public Accounts committee  Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would briefly like to thank you for your warm welcome. It is a pleasure to be here, to see the faces of former colleagues and to see new ones. I will do my best to answer your questions as clearly as possible.

Public Accounts committee  Thank you.

Public Accounts committee  Thank you for giving me the opportunity, at the outset, to answer that question. It should not be forgotten that when I was appointed Minister of State for the Economic Development Agency of Canada at the beginning of 2002, the Deputy Minister at the time, Mr. Gladu, in the course of a weekly meeting with my chief of staff, revealed to us that we were suppose to move.

Public Accounts committee  Based on the information I had at the time, no one wanted to move and the work environment was very different in the other place. I was also told about the moving costs. I repeat: the move would have cost $1 million. I was told that there would also be a loss of productivity, because no work could be done during the move.

Public Accounts committee  Absolutely, and that's why I was very surprised at being called before your committee today.

Public Accounts committee  You're welcome.