Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
It's a pleasure to welcome my colleague Mr. Richards from the veterans affairs committee.
I would like to welcome the witness.
I am upset. We have just completed a study on suicide among veterans. We are looking at the recommendations, and the one thing that stands out most is negligence. Why the negligence? Once military service is over, it's on to something else. That's why I'm going to ask the witness a few questions. He has shown this very clearly.
First, let us talk about administrative decisions. My understanding is that senior management at Veterans Affairs Canada did not submit a request to Treasury Board to extend contracts, despite the request for $9.5 million you mentioned.
Did the department tell you why no request was made to Treasury Board?