Public Accounts committee  The lease at Place Victoria is about to expire and we have already started the process to call for tenders with our colleagues at Public Works Canada —

Public Accounts committee  The lease will expire soon. We have to look at some issues at Place Victoria, namely the fact that our standards for square meters per employee are not met. Those standards were not in effect at the time but they are now. So, at this time, those standards are not met.

Public Accounts committee  No. The lease will expire and we have carried out a needs analysis based on the new standards.

Public Accounts committee  As I said at the beginning of the meeting, Mr. Chair, a decision had to be made within the first project about the relocation of the regional office of Montreal Island. That decision was made and that office has been moved in the eastern part of the city. So, those employees have

Public Accounts committee  I believe the Secretary of state at the beginning of the process was Mr. Martin Cauchon. At the end of the process, it was Mr. Drouin.

Public Accounts committee  I would expect that there is a cost-benefit analysis that was done, and I think my colleagues at Public Works have given you some of that information. I can only confirm that in fact DEC-CEDQ remained in the building, there were no fit-ups made, there were no costs incurred as a

Public Accounts committee  Mr. Chair, I don't think there was a loser per se because Place Bonaventure was leased, if I....

Public Accounts committee  I would defer to my colleagues at Public Works with regard to the analysis they did in terms of the cost-benefit.

Public Accounts committee  The only response I can make to that, Mr. Chair, is that the request was made by the Secretary of State at the time. If possible....

Public Accounts committee  The request was made—if I may—to the Minister of Public Works at the time to remain in Place Victoria, if possible. A cost-benefit analysis was done by Public Works that it was possible to do so, and the decision was rendered in a letter to the Secretary of State from the Ministe

Public Accounts committee  The response that was received, Mr. Chair, to the letter from the Secretary of State at the time came from the Minister of Public Works, agreeing to his request.

Public Accounts committee  That is the response from Mr. Goodale.

Public Accounts committee  If I may, Mr. Chair, Minister Goodale responded in his letter saying that he agreed to the request, since the....

Public Accounts committee  From the Secretary of State.

Public Accounts committee  It wasn't his Secretary of State. From the Secretary of State, if it were possible to do so, and the analysis... I will defer to my colleagues, because....