When situations like that arise, and if they arise, we are always happy to look at our contract to see what provisions exist with respect to payments to ensure that work is done in a timely fashion. If work is not done we are happy to hold back payment.

Would the Minister be able to describe the holdback scheme, how it’s applied to northern contractors and southern contractors, how it’s applied to projects in large communities such as Yellowknife, Inuvik, or Hay River, and furthermore, how would it be proscribed in a manner that it would be in Fort Good Hope or Wekweetì or Lutselk’e? Can you explain the dynamics of that situation?

Details of payments and holdbacks would be proscribed in the contract itself and there would be no difference necessarily between southern and northern contractors. It’s a negotiation of contract that is done between the primary and the Department of Public Works and Services. For some additional information I will go to the deputy minister.

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Mr. Guy.

Thank you, Mr. Guy. Mr. Hawkins, your time is up but we have no one on the list. Actually, no, sorry. I do have Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just have a couple of questions here with regard to the shared procurement services. I think from the Minister’s opening remarks this is coming yet. I’d like confirmation of when that’s happening or if it is

in the works and when it will be completed. My concern goes to the fact that contracts and fees are let throughout the government through various different departments and various divisions of departments. My experience has been that we don’t get the same standard of letting of contracts across the government. With shared procurement is that likely to help that problem?

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Mr. Abernethy.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Absolutely.

He’s only got half a memory. When will we be done?

We’ve already done a significant amount of work. We’re going to be doing a significant amount of work through 2013-2014. We hope to have a design ready for the 2014-2015 business plan so we can implement in that fiscal year.

I am teasing you, Mr. Minister, I hope you realize that. You do have a full memory. Okay. I’m glad to hear that we’re going to get there. I guess, in the meantime, I do have some concerns with sort of the lack of standards of letting of contracts and RFPs in various and sundry departments. What does the Department of Public Works and Services, what can they do, what’s in their arsenal to try and, I don’t want to say force other departments, but what is there that you can do to assist them to be better in their letting of contracts? I know the departments often say we’re doing it, leave us alone, let us do it, but that doesn’t always work out to be the best situation for the people that are applying on contracts. What is it that PWS can do? Is there anything that you can do?

The departments have been working together on trying to solve some of these issues and having some consistency across the government. The shared procurement services is obviously going to help a significant amount with the exact concerns that the Member and vendors in the public have brought forward. We do have a procurement procedures committee that has been put in place that has members from Public Works and Services, Finance, and other departments that are trying to come up with some of the challenges that are out there. There is also the comptroller general who is working on this as well. There is standardized training that is available across the government in this area. For some specifics on those types of things I will go to the deputy minister.

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Mr. Guy.

Thank you, Mr. Guy. Ms. Bisaro.

Thanks to the Minister and Mr. Guy. One last comment. There’s not really a question here. In the absence of shared procurement, my experience is that usually problems arise when you have people who have a lack of experience in letting of contracts and managing of contracts. My experience also suggests that most of the problems occur within not necessarily departments but arm’s-length organizations like health authorities and education authorities and so on.

I guess I do have a question. My question is whether or not PWS will be taking procurement for arm’s-length organizations like education and health authorities under their wing when you get to the end point of shared services.

Thanks to Mr. Guy. I guess I would just like to suggest to the Minister that if it is at all possible to force that sort of training on people who are doing procurement, whether they happen to be in a department or an authority, if there is an authority in the government to force people to get that training and to have a certain level of expertise, that would be a good thing. That’s all.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. I will go to Mr. Abernethy for the final comment.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Force is a strong word. We certainly strongly encourage boards and agencies to partake in the training that we offer.

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Pages 7-13, Public Works and Services, activity summary, directorate, operations expenditure summary, $8.988 million.

Page 7-14, Public Works and Services, information item, directorate, active positions. Any questions?