Thank you for the question. You have raised a very interesting point.
Earlier, we discussed the topic of SMEs. Yes, the process must be streamlined. Industries and SMEs are part of the solution. The last thing we should be doing is playing hide-and-seek with our partners. Instead we should agree to see how we can improve the contracts, how we can streamline them and make them more practical, while maintaining the aspect of openness and transparency. That is the direction that we have taken. We want to adapt to the current economic reality. It's dynamic and things are in constant flux.
As concerns the overall contracting process, I am often called upon to work with the Minister of Industry, the Minister of National Defence and the President of the Treasury Board. We talk among ourselves to ensure that nothing is done in isolation and that the process is coherent. However, what is important, and something we often hear about from the industry, is a concern about the management of risk sharing. We are sensitive to that. If contracts are too cumbersome and expensive, it means that it is the taxpayers who risk paying for them, because the industry may have to assume a disproportionate share. That's why I used the expression "playing hide-and-seek" with the industry. That would be the worst thing to do.
The industry and our private sector partners are not enemies, they are just that, partners. That is why we have to get along in order to work and do good business together. We must maintain a positive dialogue through the Office of Small and Medium Enterprises. We must also ensure that we have what we want, at the end of the day, that is, openness and transparency. That will in turn result in the best value for money, especially when we think of the taxpayers' money that will be invested.
There is also another aspect that is often raised: the specifications that accompany the tenders. Sometimes, when our department clients issue tenders, they may include conditions that are extremely specialized and technical that may be incomprehensible for the industry. We are trying to hold discussions in this regard. Perhaps specifications X are not the best fit for a given project Y, and perhaps specifications Z would be better, for example. The industry can advise us to that end. That's why we maintain an open dialogue.
In general, that is the direction taken by the department. I can sum it up very simply: we must work together and be attuned to the industry. That is why consultations were held. Earlier, the example of GENS was given. There are consultations in the furniture sector. This subject was raised earlier. As concerns tenders and contracting agreements, consultations are held on an on-going basis to create this partnership dynamic.