Public Accounts committee  I never provided letters. I just gave names when I applied.

Public Accounts committee  As I said, sir, I hired an individual to handle my procurement issues. I assumed and I believe he followed all the rules.

Public Accounts committee  I'm not, sir.

Public Accounts committee  That would have been an expert in compensation.

Public Accounts committee  That would have been Superintendent Guy Fortin, who was the director of NCPC at that time.

Public Accounts committee  The director in charge.

Public Accounts committee  Josée Derickx. I had to go through a very rigorous security process. I'm concerned about telling you of the process because it's a security agency and I don't know the secrecy issues. I can't answer the question, but I would suggest to you it's more than what any other agency in government would go through.

Public Accounts committee  On why I was asked to leave? Would what be part of it, sir?

Public Accounts committee  Absolutely, this came out. I disclosed everything. If you check the processes I went through, you might be surprised as to the veracity of what I'm telling you here, sir.

Public Accounts committee  First of all, she was hired for human resource strategy. Part of her function in human resource strategy was to assist our managers in getting the right resources and tools in place. If our managers were having trouble with staffing, she would help move them through that process, but her main task was human resource strategy, which was imposed upon us in a very rigorous and robust way by the Treasury Board.

Public Accounts committee  No, she was hired as a consultant. She went through the proper consulting processes. She bid on jobs and she was hired. I wouldn't have gone through staffing to hire that individual.

Public Accounts committee  I've never taken a procurement course in my life. I've never suggested I was a procurement expert. I've said it here a number of times. I've had an exemplary record with Public Works for over 25 years. There were no missteps. I've never been sanctioned. When I moved to the RCMP, I was recruited to the RCMP to work on not just this project, but I was also responsible for payroll and for pensions and for systems.

Public Accounts committee  Mr. Gauvin alluded to a project that had the money charged and was being invested into the marketplace. I was responsible for that project for DND, RCMP, and Public Works. Through that, as the RCMP's representative, that's how I met Superintendent Fortin, but it was when I was working with Public Works.

Public Accounts committee  Well, again, my manager went to staffing and asked about a process to follow. They were given a process to follow and they followed that process. When that process was questioned before anyone was hired by the head of staffing at central region, there was a meeting of my manager and me with those individuals.

Public Accounts committee  I was approached by the security agency.