Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you to the witnesses for being here today and explaining the work that you do in your communities.
I have a few questions that I'd like to ask both witnesses. I'll ask them and then go back and forth between both of you, if that's okay.
First, Global News reported that it was “an open secret within Ottawa's procurement community that non-Indigenous companies have been finding ways to get around the program's rules” to access the billions in annual contracts meant for indigenous businesses.
Conservatives and others have been raising the alarm bells on this fraud within the indigenous procurement programs. These could be lost opportunities for indigenous companies, including women and companies that you represent.
We now know that this was true. Are you concerned that the government didn't address this even though there were warning signs on this?
I'll ask Magnolia Perron first.