Thank you, Mr. Chair.
My name is David Yeo. I'm pleased to have the opportunity to speak with the committee members today.
Mr. Chair and honourable members of the committee, I would like to acknowledge that the land that we gather on today is the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin nation and is now home to many other first nations, Métis and Inuit peoples.
I'm a decorated veteran. During my 36-year career with the Canadian army, which included deployments to Afghanistan and the Middle East, I was held to the highest levels of integrity, and of course, I continue to conduct myself in this manner today.
I would also like to further acknowledge that Chief Robert Franklin, my great grandfather and past chief of Alderville First Nation, was a treaty-signing chief. This treaty was signed on November 19, 1923, almost 100 years to this day. As a direct descendent of a treaty-signing chief, I hold my heritage with the utmost integrity as well.
I happen to have the treaty here with me today to help guide us through these discussions.
In 2003, I was asked to participate in the creation of the Government of Canada's policy for the procurement strategy for aboriginal business, what is known today as the procurement strategy for indigenous business. Mr. Allen Frost, many other indigenous leaders and I created this policy that guides the Government of Canada today in supporting indigenous businesses with federal government procurement opportunities.
Dalian is a hardware and software cybersecurity company that I founded 23 years ago. As much as possible, we prioritize the hiring of indigenous employees and the deployment of indigenous consultants to work on projects for the Government of Canada.
Dalian and Coradix are in a joint venture under the procurement strategy for indigenous business. We established this joint venture in 2004. In the joint venture, Dalian provides professional services in cybersecurity and networking, and Coradix provides IT professional services.
In every project for the Government of Canada, Dalian follows all procurement and contracting rules and policies. We deliver according to scope of work or the task authorizations that we receive, and we only invoice for work performed, completed and signed-off by technical authorities or according to the terms and conditions of the contract.
Meegwetch.
Now I will pass it off to Mr. Wood.