Public Accounts committee  He told me that he did it because I had mentioned to him that moving our employees would be difficult to manage, considering that they had always worked at the same location. He said he simply wanted to ensure that it might be possible to stay there and thereby minimize that particular issue.

Public Accounts committee  People at the Agency did what was necessary to make it work over the five-year period of the lease. However, no improvement could be made during those five years. I know that because I discussed this with some ex-colleagues. Improvements that should have been made were not made.

Public Accounts committee  They will be moving at the end of the current lease.

Public Accounts committee  No, I do not. But I was told they are moving.

Public Accounts committee  Well, if he did regret it, he never told me so.

Public Accounts committee  I'm sorry, but I don't have that information with me. I left four years ago; I'm sure you can understand that I don't have data with me today with respect to the number of square meters per employee.

Public Accounts committee  I am very hesitant to give you a figure. To be perfectly honest, I am totally incapable of giving you a specific number. As I recall—and I want to emphasize that I am relying on my memory here—the figure that was mentioned was a cost of between $500,000 and a million dollars.

Public Accounts committee  Here we are talking about approximately 300 employees. As a general rule, when an office that size decides to move, operations are difficult to maintain, indeed almost non-existent, for about a week, or whatever time is needed to get all the computer systems up and running again, for people to relocate, and so on.

Public Accounts committee  That correct.

Public Accounts committee  I would simply like to make one comment with respect to the second part of your question. I already answered the first part. Access for disabled persons was improved. As for the rest, I was not in any way involved in what you have referred to in the note from Mr. Arès, an employee of Public Works and Government Services Canada.

Public Accounts committee  You would probably have to check that with people who are there now because I left just when the lease was being renewed. However, to my knowledge, it met the standards.

Public Accounts committee  I'm certainly not able to comment on what was done or said inside the Department of Public Works or between people in the Minister's Office and public officials. I was not involved in those discussions. The only thing I can say, insofar as I was concerned, is that the process that was to result in a call for tenders and a possible move did in fact continue, in my opinion.

Public Accounts committee  Until the Secretary of State, Mr. Claude Drouin, forwarded a letter, I was perfectly in agreement with the idea of moving to Place Bonaventure. Indeed, I had confirmed that in writing to my colleague from the Department of Public Works and Government Services in Montreal, Mr. Normand Couture.

Public Accounts committee  I am not defending anyone, but I would like to be given a chance to answer.

Public Accounts committee  I told you the Department of Public Works decided, after receiving Mr. Drouin's letter, to…