Public Accounts committee  My understanding is that they received certain information, but there was a direct path from individuals within the IT group to PSPC to discuss contracts. For whatever reason, the procurement function wasn't an intermediary to that.

Public Accounts committee  Yes, they could have. The roles and responsibilities with regard to procurement are quite well established, including the business owner, those who might need a contracted resource; the contracting authority, who is the interface; and PSPC for contracts over a certain amount of

Public Accounts committee  Yes.

Public Accounts committee  I don't know that I would put that at the feet of PSPC. Having not been there, I don't know if it was the exigent circumstances, so I can't speak to that, and I wouldn't put that at the feet of PSPC. Mr. Chair, you will speak to officials from that department, but my role is to

Public Accounts committee  Exactly. It's the procurement directorate's function to provide that oversight and to require and insist that the appropriate level of information is contained, be it in a task authorization or an invoice, all the way to the coding for payment. That is their function, to carry ou

Public Accounts committee  I would only add that I share the concerns. I do hope that it doesn't risk the trust of Canadians in the functioning of the CBSA and the critical work being done by employees, border service officers across the country and around the world. The work they do day in and day out is

Public Accounts committee  I received the principal draft on August 3, and then I received the second DM draft in December.

Public Accounts committee  I'll just complete my answer. I also received a draft on the 18th. Your question is whether I have undertaken any—

Public Accounts committee  No.

Public Accounts committee  I am not interfacing with the RCMP, and the people who are are not reporting to me about their interface with the RCMP. If the RCMP wants information, and they may well have sought it, that is not being reported to me.

Public Accounts committee  No.

Public Accounts committee  Was it signed by me?

Public Accounts committee  We are unable to validate that. The person who was alleged to have said it, my predecessor, also addressed that at committee.

Public Accounts committee  I have seen no evidence of that statement, and I wasn't around—

Public Accounts committee  Since I have been in this position, absolutely not, I have seen no evidence that it existed before, and I would point to the testimony of the person alleged to have said it.