Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thought ahead of the mid-term review, I might gain some more traction on this issue. It’s true, the Minister does have a number of mandate commitments, but procurement is an ongoing issue of every government and doesn’t need a specific mandate commitment especially when the concerns are out there.

Mr. Speaker, I’d like to ask the Minister about prompt payment. Prompt payment is a practice for businesses who are required to agree to fair and reasonable terms of their suppliers, ensures suppliers’ invoices are approved and paid within agreed terms, and to encourage the adoption of the same practices through their supply chain. Is the Minister aware of this concept and does the department practice it? Thank you.