Rules are constantly being refined. I wouldn't want to mislead you. I think that some rules were in place before I came to the department. Improvements are made every year. I must say that department officials met with me on a number of occasions, under other circumstances, asking me to choose direct negotiations rather than a publicly advertised tendering process. In the case at hand, the deputy minister's memo of July 31 that I have before me—and I would like to thank the committee and Public Works and Government Services Canada for having provided me with these documents so that I could prepare my appearance before you today—clearly states that an analysis was conducted and it showed that it would be more cost-effective for the government to go to tender. The decision was made, and the call for tenders was conducted according to the rules and procedures. An ethics advisor even reviewed the whole process, and the lease was awarded to the lowest bidder.
On March 6th, 2008. See this statement in context.