Thank you, Mr. Chair.
As I indicated a little earlier, I am always reluctant to comment on questions related to the machinery of the system, because the government has the right to organize itself however it sees fit.
I sincerely believe that, if an agency were created, there would be other stakeholders, regardless. The Treasury Board Secretariat is another important stakeholder. It performs a critical examination in order to ensure that business plans are reasonable, needs are clearly defined and money is well spent. It must continue to fulfill that role, whether or not a separate agency exists. I imagine the Department of Industry would also continue to play a role. Thus, this would affect only the part of the process linked to awarding contracts. At present, the vast majority of purchases made by Public Works and Government Services are related to the Department of National Defence.
I therefore wonder whether that would really simplify the system. We noted certain things in the past. There were several committees, and the documentation and arguments were perhaps not very strong. Some documents had to be returned to DND to obtain further justification. I think we can make the process more effective and efficient, but I believe it will always remain complicated.