Thank you, Mr. Chair and committee members, for the invitation to appear today.
With me in the room is Mr. Wojo Zielonka. He is the chief financial officer for PSPC. I have additional colleagues joining me online, including Arianne Reza, our associate deputy minister.
I am pleased to be here to address questions related to Public Services and Procurement Canada’s most recent departmental results report, for 2020-21, and its supplementary estimates (C).
The departmental results report highlights the department’s achievements in delivering on its diverse mandate. As a common service provider, PSPC works to support the whole of government as it serves Canadians, from procurement to managing government buildings to being the pay and pension administrator for the public service, and more.
Over the past year, PSPC has continued to play a key role in supporting Canada’s response to the pandemic. An aggressive procurement approach early on resulted in a secure supply of vaccines and personal protective equipment, with much of that PPE now being made here at home.
With regard to testing, PSPC secured millions of rapid tests to support the work of the Public Health Agency of Canada and provinces and territories. Requests for these tests have increased dramatically as the pandemic has evolved. As of this week, more that 330 million rapid tests have been delivered to Canada, and hundreds of millions more will arrive in the coming months.
As well as being an important part of the fight against COVID, procurement is a powerful lever that can be used to support inclusive economic growth.
I’m proud to say that PSPC continues to modernize procurement practices to reduce barriers for under-represented groups. To this end, PSPC has launched a supplier diversity action plan that includes pilot projects and consultations with businesses led by Black and other racialized Canadians, women, LGBTQ2+ Canadians, indigenous peoples, Canadians with disabilities, and other communities. As well, last summer PSPC announced federal government-wide measures aimed at working towards implementing a requirement that at least 5% of the total value of federal contracts be held by businesses led by first nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.
The department also has other important work under way, including the renovation and rehabilitation of the parliamentary precinct. Major construction activities continue on this historic restoration project of Centre Block, including excavation work for the parliamentary welcome centre, demolition and abatement, and the development of concept designs. Last year saw the launch of the architectural design competition to redevelop block 2, the city block facing Parliament Hill and surrounded by Wellington, Sparks, Metcalfe and O’Connor streets.
PSPC continues to support the environmental sustainability of government operations. As outlined in our departmental results report, PSPC implements a range of clean technologies in building operations, among other actions.
In addition, PSPC continued with the ongoing delivery of defence procurements in support of Canada’s defence policy: Strong, Secure, Engaged.
That included reviewing bids for the purchase of new fighter jets for the Royal Canadian Air Force. And I will note that we are still on track for a contract award later this year, with delivery of aircraft as early as 2025.
Mr. Chair, these are just a few highlights of our departmental results report.
I look forward to the discussion and entertaining any comments and questions.