Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’d like to thank the Minister for providing his opening comments. Welcome, Mr. Aumond, and it’s good to see Ms. Gault here as well.
I have just a few comments, Mr. Chairman, and I’ll start at the beginning. I think hopefully other departments are paying attention when you look at your opening comments, Mr. Minister, and some of the work that your department has done over the past 17 months and even carrying on a little bit further back into the last government. Out of all the departments, this one here has listened to concerns that Members have had, they’ve reacted positively, and they’ve done some very good and thorough research and analysis and the data collection, I mean, that’s been there. When we’ve had briefings with the Minister and his staff they were able to answer questions, they have done their work. That doesn’t go unnoticed, Mr. Chairman, and I wanted to give them some thanks for that today. Especially on the way the government approaches infrastructure and the capital planning process, we’re moving into this new system and I think time will tell that we’re doing the right thing. I think it’s being managed in an effective manner as well.
We’ve got some big things ahead of us. I appreciate the facility risk management and safety. I think there’s a lot of work that’s going to have to be required there. The department’s also done a good job on the Woodpile Remediation Program and the Deferred Maintenance Program as well. I see some pretty good things happening with Public Works.
The other thing I wanted to give them credit for, Mr. Chairman, and the reason I say this is that they listen. When the resupply happened and fuel prices fell, I think dropping the price 16 cents, that’s a real government that’s listening, a department that’s listening to the Regular Members and listening to the people that we’re here to serve. Again, some kudos for listening. I
If you look at Public Works and Services, too, they don’t just say they’re trying to find new ways to do business. They’re trying to become more efficient in the way they do things and that’s not lost on me either. I think they’re trying to do more with less. It seems to me to be a fairly forward-thinking department as well. Mr. Minister, you’ve got some good staff there that are doing some good things. Again, I think some other departments could take some of the work that you’ve done as a template to do some of their own work. When Ministers show up to briefings they should have done their research and they should have most of the answers. Far too often some departments come
forward and they’re unable to answer questions, they haven’t done the background, the research. But in most cases I think Public Works has done a stand-up job in that area. Also, on the energy efficiency side of things, too, I think as funding becomes available we’d be looking at more wood pellet boilers and I think that’s a step in the right direction again.
No negative comments, Mr. Chairman. Again, I do appreciate the hard work that the department and the Minister are putting into this area and they’re juggling a lot of complex things as well. Thank you.