Thank you, Chair.
I want to note that this is a non-partisan issue. No one has suggested in any way that Treasury Board would not fund these important projects. The buildings are architectural art. They're unique buildings. In fact, they're living history. They're the residences of our democracy. We're all responsible--everybody here, everybody in Parliament--for the stewardship of the place in a non-partisan way.
I want to note that when I first arrived here, I discovered the incredible amount of activity in these buildings. I was amazed to have two houses, the Senate and the House of Commons, sit, once they start, throughout the day, with no break for lunch and no other breaks whatever. There are over 40 standing committees, plus special committees, that could be sitting at any time, any week, and sometimes twice a week. And every word is translated into French and English. So the activity is phenomenal.
On the other hand, we've been so focused on the issues that affect the lives of Canadians, there's a huge amount of deferred maintenance in the place. This has been happening for decades. We're in the position where we have to renovate our house while we live here, which in my town is known as a nightmare scenario; for us, it's at least staying in the same precinct.
Last week, when we had the tour--I thank you for the tour--I saw that it was more than renovating: people have to take down the building block by block, mark the stones, and then rebuild the building. In fact, these are artisans. They're not just builders. It's living art. They're rebuilding the residences of our democracy. That's expensive, and we understand that.
All that said, Mr. Guimont, I do have a question on timeframes. It's a long time to renovate or rebuild a building. Is there any chance, do you think, that you'll be ahead of schedule, or that you can do it a little bit faster in the West Block, for example?