Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
In his presentation, the minister stated that SNC-Lavalin ProFac was going to hire some 3,700 small and medium-size businesses. It is already hiring some. I would like to know the process used by this company in its relations with small and medium-size businesses.
Does SNC-Lavalin ProFac conduct its activities from Toronto throughout Canada or only in certain provinces? Fifteen hundred Public Works and Government Services Canada facilities were mentioned. You are in my region and I know that people are extremely dissatisfied. I'd like to know what control Public Works and Government Services Canada has over the operations of SNC-Lavalin ProFac.
Does this company simply award contracts to companies that it already knows or does it call for tenders for the cleaning of a building, for instance? We're not talking about high-value contracts.
Nevertheless, I have heard that there were serious problems in my region regarding relations between the small companies in question and SNC-Lavalin ProFac. There were even aspects that were more or less clear or legal in the contracts that they had signed with small and medium-size enterprises.
What kind of an audit does Public Works and Government Services Canada conduct with small businesses that subcontract for SNC-Lavalin ProFac? First of all, is there an audit and are there bids?