Thank you, Chair.
Thank you to our witnesses.
I will maybe start by pointing out that the NCC does have a lot to answer for. I do look forward to hearing from Mr. Nussbaum of the NCC. Of course, we all will remember that he was the infamous Ottawa city councillor who quit days after the 2018 municipal election, triggering an expensive by-election here in the city of Ottawa. I guess we know where his care for taxpayer dollars comes from. We look forward to hearing from the current CEO and former Liberal Party donor Mr. Nussbaum when he comes to committee, hopefully, when he gets back from vacation. We're looking forward to that.
I'll start by saying, as a farm kid from Logan Township, that $8 million for a barn, a shed or a storage facility just boggles my mind. When we can hear quotes from contractors talking about maybe $120 or $150 per square foot, and then we hear somewhere in the neighbourhood of $930 per square foot, it obviously boggles the mind for folks who are in the business of contracting out. It “barn-doggles”, as my friend Mr. Stewart would say.
I'm new to this committee, so forgive me if some of my questions may seem rudimentary or are just scratching the surface.
Mr. Gear, I understand there's a directive on the management of projects and programs through the Treasury Board Secretariat. Could you confirm whether or not the National Capital Commission is subject to that directive?