Okay. Thank you. I wonder why the department wouldn't go out to the business community in order to determine what capacity there was to, first of all, sell the equipment to Public Works and then do some of the services and warranty work to install these other pieces that the deputy has spoken to. I wonder why we wouldn't go and talk to the business community in order to have them enter into this discussion of capacity. I think the department would have recognized that by sole-sourcing this, they were going to ruffle some feathers. There are a lot of businesses who have made significant investments in the North, based their business model on the policies of this government and feel that the due process was short-circuited here and I think what they are really asking for is, if they indicate that they couldn't provide 80 percent of this equipment, why not give them the chance and have that discussion, so that we collaboratively arrive at that conclusion, if that is the real conclusion. Why just go to Hewlett Packard in the South and ask for their take on this? I wonder why we wouldn't get into this consultation with the business community. It doesn't seem like it would take long to assess capacity in the situation like this.
Brendan Bell on Bill 3: Appropriation Act, 2003-2004
In the Legislative Assembly on March 10th, 2003. See this statement in context.
Bill 3: Appropriation Act, 2003-2004
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
March 9th, 2003
Page 635
See context to find out what was said next.