Mr. Speaker, contrary to what the hon. member opposite might say, there is no conspiracy against landlords on the Quebec side of the river. This lease in question for Revenue Canada's information technology branch is being tendered in a completely open and fair manner and according to normal procedures.
The member said in his remarks that he wanted a guarantee of openness and transparency. He has it.
What the hon. member must understand is that each requirement for space is considered by the Department of Public Works and Government Services on a case by case basis. The department then proceeds in the most appropriate manner based on the needs and constraints of the client department involved.
Decisions about obtaining office space are based on an number of factors. These include the length of the lease required, the cost of moving the client department, how much investment has been made in the location, government downsizing, security requirements, accessibility to the public, to name a few.
The bottom line in all cases is finding the best possible solution at the lowest possible cost to the taxpayer in an open, fair and transparent manner.
Let us briefly examine the facts of this instance. The lease for the Fontaine building expires November 30, 1996 with no option for renewal while Revenue Canada will have an ongoing five-year requirement for about 1,200 square meters of office space.
We are proceeding with an invited tender based on a recent market survey. This is one of the normal processes by which we acquire leased space. In the case of the requirement in question there is no reason not to proceed in this fashion. The preferred approach is always the competitive route.
Let me make it clear that the owner of the Fontaine building has been invited to participate and will have an equal chance. If the Fontaine building's offer represents the best value for the crown and the taxpayer, Revenue Canada operations will stay where they are.
Contrary to what the member from Chicoutimi has stated, our purpose in doing this tender call is not to relocate public service employees currently in Quebec to Ontario. Our purpose with this tender call is to ensure that all the property owners in the national capital area who can meet this space requirement have a chance to submit an offer. This is an open and fair process to ensure that we get the best value for the government and for the taxpayers.
Furthermore, the number of employees affected, 750 in this branch of Revenue Canada, represents less than 1 per cent of the total federal public services employment level in the national capital area.
What we are talking about is a process that is fair and open to scrutiny resulting in the best deal for the government and the best deal for the taxpayer. That is the way it should be and that is the way it will be.