Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Speaker, on page 4 of your notes, you talk about operational requirements. In the second paragraph, mention is made of a computer system replacement and software upgrade project. You indicated that “funding for this project is essential as Members' and House Officers' computers had reached the end of their life cycle. “
I don't know if either you and Mr. Bard can answer this question, but could you explain to me the meaning of “the end of their life cycle“?My knowledge of computers is quite limited, even though my BlackBerry and I are joined at the hip, so to speak. According to some of our assistants or colleagues who are far more computer savvy than I am, even though our computers are perfectly adequate, we get a call informing us that a decision has been made to replace them. I've already talked with Mr. Bard, who attended a seminar at the Corel Centre outlining the changes we could expect to see in the BlackBerry over the next three years. Every six months, new changes are being introduced. I realize that this technology evolves rapidly, but I am curious about the life cycle of our computers on the Hill. I'm not trying to stump you with this question, Mr. Speaker.