Public Accounts committee  First of all, I knew it was lack of space and not that we had more space. During my tenure as a public works minister, I was concerned about the amount of space we were using, because, if you recall, after a program review, I believe in 1996-97, we reduced our staff by about 50,0

Public Accounts committee  I don't know. I asked him. He has no recollection. We're talking 2001--

Public Accounts committee  It was not my department. I had an office staff for my department that I had to worry about. Somebody else had to worry about that.

Public Accounts committee  Let me be clear here. It is different here from a tendering process. Once the tender process goes public, you cannot touch it any more. It is like the train that has left the station and you have to go to the end. There might be modifications, amendments, and there is a process t

Public Accounts committee  You see this delay--

Public Accounts committee  --as something there--

Public Accounts committee  No, for--

Public Accounts committee  No, no.

Public Accounts committee  In this case that we're talking about in June and July 2001, I think the person who can give you the answer is Jean-Marc Bard, because the memos are referring to him.

Public Accounts committee  I'm sorry, sir. You asked me which person. The only person that I see through the document with his name in here is him, but I called him and he has no recollection.

Public Accounts committee  No.

Public Accounts committee  I don't know. This is the first time I've found that when I read those documents. I have no clue. The only information I had on this file was the memo from the deputy minister on July 31, I believe, informing me that the decision of the department was to go and tender publicly, a

Public Accounts committee  I understand where you're coming from. Because of what happened in April 2002, now we say there is a red light, that something happened there too. I'm trying to reassure you that this was a normal routine, as civil servants from the department were meeting with my staff to inform

Public Accounts committee  I have no idea. I have no recollection. When I was invited to come before you, I called my former chief of staff, Jean-Marc Bard. I asked him the same question. He had no recollection. That's all I can say. I'm trying to give you a rationale of what could have happened. I unders

Public Accounts committee  Albano Girdardo probably started in 1993 and was there until I left, or about 9 to 10 years.