Thank you very much, Mr. Chair, and I want to thank the minister for being present with us today on what is a really important issue.
Several audits have now come forward to the public accounts committee, not just on ArriveCAN but also more recently on the McKinsey study. They looked at the very large issue of contracting and subcontracting, this shadow network of consultants who are like bugs to a rotting meal in so many ways. They're in this environment, continuously seeking contracts from the government, and at many times even creating massive networks that become layers of subcontractors, layers and layers and layers. Multiple reports, including the ArriveCAN study presented by the Auditor General, suggest that this network has largely been able to take advantage of the PSPC rules. In some instances—there were many cases, actually—non-competitive contracts were awarded.
In your ministry, there have been instances of non-competitive contracts being issued for very large sums. Why would your ministry look at non-competitive contracts in any case?