Mr. Speaker, yes, it is true that yesterday the Minister of Public Works and the President of the Treasury Board announced the official appointment of Mr. Shahid Minto as the government's first Procurement Ombudsman and that the office is now up and running.
The announcement is a final step in the implementation of the Federal Accountability Act which our government brought forward after the last election campaign to strengthen accountability, fairness and transparency in all areas of parliamentary and public service and to improve opportunities for small and medium size businesses and enterprises when it comes to government procurement.
The Procurement Ombudsman will examine departmental practices in acquiring materials and services as well as make any appropriate recommendations to the relevant department for the improvement of these practices.
This is what we promised to do and we have gotten it done.