Thank you, Chair.
Good morning to the witnesses and thank you for your attendance.
To the PSPC representatives, your deputy minister Arianne Reza was appointed on November 2, 2023. Prior to that, she was the assistant deputy minister. Beginning in August 2021, she was the senior official responsible for federal procurement. She oversaw 1,400 employees in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. She led the urgent procurement of critical goods and services to ensure the health and safety of Canadians, including vaccines and surrounding protective equipment. She directed the development and implementation of the simplification of procurement practices. These efforts focused on building an accessible procurement system that drives value for money. Her DNA was all over the issues we are studying today and have studied literally for the last couple of months.
Why isn't she here?