Thank you, Mr. Chair.
In her many reports, the Auditor General highlighted the massive use of subcontractors in IT, who can access sensitive information without the required security clearances or training. Ottawa spends nearly $1 billion a year on IT services. In 2022, the number of IT subcontractors was around seven. So I think there's a huge vulnerability there.
Mr. Jones, you might be the best person to answer my question, but obviously any of you can answer.
I think we are quite vulnerable to foreign interference. We would need security guarantees. What are the security guarantees required by the government? Are checks done so that companies to whom you award a contract have the work done by people from that company, and not by subcontractors? How are you going to adapt your methods for awarding contracts to avoid using foreign workers located in countries at risk, with which there are diplomatic tensions? As the world order changes, the list of countries we can trust is quite limited.