Mr. Chairman, I thank the minister very much for that update on some very exciting and worthwhile initiatives that are on the way in his department and also for the commitment to at least review the fee for the MERX system. I do appreciate that.
I want to switch gears and talk about another topic. It is always useful when a minister takes on his new portfolio to raise an issue. Some time ago I had discussions with a company in my riding that makes modular floor systems. If during or after installation someone wants to wire computers, these systems are easily replaced. As the computer configuration is changed, the wires can easily be put in different places. In terms of ongoing operating costs, if the office space has to be renovated it is a lot more inexpensive.
The problem the company ran up against is that the capital costs for its system are greater than those for a conventional system, but the ongoing operating costs are reduced as companies restructure, add more technologies and rewire their offices. What they ran up against of course, in their view in any case, was a bias toward getting the lowest price capital costs through the public works system.
Looking at it, I wondered at the time and in fact communicated with the minister at the time to say that on the basis of simply the capital costs this bid would lose out, but I asked if anyone was actually looking at the operating costs. This was an operating cost that would be incurred by a department of the federal government, but I forget which particular federal department. On an ongoing basis its operating costs would perhaps be increased but their capital costs would be reduced in the short run.
I just put that challenge to the minister. Maybe when he fully assumes all his responsibilities he might ask that question: Is anyone in the government looking at this on a life cycle basis and saying that not only do we need to look at capital costs but we need to look at ongoing operating costs? For the federal government as a whole, those operating costs would end up in various government departments. I put that forward to the minister.