That I think gets to the bottom of what we as a committee are trying to consider and get to the bottom of. Obviously, in any contract there are always people who don't receive the contract and people who are disappointed as a result of that.
There are also folks who are concerned every time there is a change by government, because government by its nature is big. It has a lot of large moving parts. When there's talk of changing the way the procurement exercises are undertaken, people get nervous. We understand that and we appreciate the concerns people have brought to our attention. I hope we as a committee come forward with some suggestions that might help resolve some of the concerns.
What came up in some of the most recent meetings—Ms. saint pierre, maybe I can just put you on the spot for a moment—is the whole issue of government by its nature not being prone to be interested in taking large risks. There was a sense that possibly--and I understand where the suggestion comes from--small companies by their nature sometimes, especially when it's a new technology or some type of innovation involved, present a risk to the purchaser.
I'd be happy to hear about this issue from any witnesses who have any input on it. Is there a plan to encourage government agencies and departments to take a risk? Government by its nature is risk-averse. Is there any type of initiative that will allow people within departments to take a risk, especially with some of the newer technologies or innovations that are being presented by new and small businesses? By their nature, small businesses are usually the ones who are the innovators.