Government Operations committee  We are learning a lot. The buildings on Parliament Hill are a hundred years old. So we are learning things with each project. Based on the lessons learned, our planning can be better and so can the estimates for the next projects. Those people help us to be even more efficient in

Government Operations committee  We definitely require great expertise for the renovation projects. At the moment, there is enough staff, enough specialists to meet our needs. Clearly, if schools of masonry or specialized trade schools produced even more young masons, we would have some efficient workers readily

Government Operations committee  Thank you for your question. The process we have had in place since 2007 is based on a five-year planning system. We are still talking about a project that will go to 2025, when all the buildings will be ready, but we have divided that into five-year blocks. For each of those f

Government Operations committee  No, the minister was not advised. It is a major project, but the authority lies with the officials.

Government Operations committee  Yes, in our teams.

Government Operations committee  As I mentioned earlier, we checked e-mails and we interviewed our employees to see if in fact there was any involvement of any kind. All our employees said no. So there is no evidence of any.

Government Operations committee  Throughout the entire process, which is managed by public servants, it is those public servants who look after all contracts. As I also mentioned earlier, the criteria used had already been developed for a previous project in 2005. So it was a logical progression of our expertise

Government Operations committee  As we mentioned a few minutes ago, after looking at all the e-mails and checking with our employees on both the contracting side and the technical side, we found no information of that kind. We have no evidence of it.

Government Operations committee  When it is a major project or a significant project, as this one is, the minister is informed of the situation when officials make the decision to withdraw responsibility for a job from a general contractor and to go for the bond. The information…

Government Operations committee  He is informed through the normal hierarchy in our organization.

Government Operations committee  It was done by a briefing note to the minister dated April 17, 2009.

Government Operations committee  No.

Government Operations committee  That is not a question. I am not in a position to comment.

Government Operations committee  If I may, I am going to ask my colleague Rob Wright to answer the question.

Government Operations committee  Thank you for your question. Mr. Chair, for all contracts dealing with construction projects, we look for guarantees. One of the most effective is a bonding company. That guarantees the government that, if a problem occurs as the project is being designed or implemented, and if