I am very committed to our having a fair procurement system in SSC, and we have such a system. I also recognize that there are the occasional times when there is a need to have equipment that's interoperable with existing equipment.
I'd like to bring the member's attention to a statement by Technation, which works with the suppliers to the IT industry. They say, “Shared Services Canada has been a key government leader in working with Technation specifically in breaking down barriers to procurement. This includes leading an Agile Procurement pilot aimed at increasing the inclusion of SMEs, and a new initiative, ScaleUp that will target minority-led companies in government contract opportunities. We have also worked very closely together to assist SSC in resolving issues to its network strategy and related procurement practices.”
I think the industry representatives are aware of the good work that SSC is doing and support that.