Good morning, Mr. Chair. Thank you very much, and thank you for the opportunity to speak with everyone this morning.
Real property services would not recommend supporting the proposed change, as it is contrary to the position paper that our minister signed.
Selection and management of materials in real property is based on the recognized assessment tools we have in place, and we're working with the National Research Council in our continued process of innovation. If wood is, in fact, the best material for greenhouse gas reduction and environmental benefits, the analysis that we currently do at the commencement of projects will identify wood as the best solution to implement.
There also is no clear definition of “maximize”, which means using that word and implementing and tracking it would be extremely difficult. Because of that, Public Services and Procurement Canada would not be in support of the change.