Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Thank you for being here today, Mr. Giroux. It's always good to see you. You've shared some very interesting testimony in the past.
Thank you for being here on the supplementary estimates. I'm always very interested to get your insight into things.
Obviously, what stands out is the total ask of another $24.6 billion in this time of economic crisis. The voted authorities are $20.7 billion of that $24.6 billion. It's a significant amount, but of course I'm mostly concerned about the $24.6 billion.
I know that you are no stranger to the fact that this committee has spent a significant amount of time looking at the amount this government has spent on external consultants. In fact, last spring we were seized with the McKinsey study because of the incredible amount of expenditures we saw on external consultants.
Unfortunately, your report indicates that the supplementary estimates provide an insight into the fact that this government continues to have a reliance on external consultants. In fact, you say in your report that the amount that they are planning to save is a paltry $500 million. This is just absolutely a drop in the bucket. Never mind the $15 billion that my counterpart, Anita Anand, the President of the Treasury Board promised to find by October 2, but couldn't.
You indicate in your report that the spending on the professional and special services continues to increase. You state that in 2023-24, it's “at a record $21.6 billion”. I'll repeat that number: $21.6 billion.
Why is this government incapable of letting go of its use of external consulting services? Why is there a need for them to spend these exorbitant amounts on external consultants, as you indicated in your report, with $21.6 billion?