Mr. Lastewka was given a mandate from Prime Minister Martin to conduct a broad review of government procurement and eventually make recommendations as to how procurement should best be carried out government-wide. A full time task force was established within PWGSC made up of both line and policy experts, and with -representation from the Treasury Board Secretariat and Justice Canada. The task force began collecting data on procurement practices and statistics in January 2004 from both government and private sector sources. A survey of how several other governments, both foreign and provincial, approach procurement issues was also carried out.

Mr. Lastewka will share the results of his findings and possible recommendations that may be developed. This will be a -preliminary report since the Task Force has yet to enter into a consultation stage with stakeholders both in government and the supplier community as to the future of -procurement.

Canada is at the forefront of space research. Dr. Dixon will explain how, as humans venture deeper into space on missions of discovery to Mars, continued human exploration of that planet will require life support technology that is self-sustaining. Mars is extremely inhospitable to Earth’s life forms due to doses of ultraviolet and cosmic radiation, the incredibly cold temperatures and low light levels. The Research Facility represents the latest and most sophisticated contribution to the research hardware we need to investigate the roles of plants in human life support requirements. Recycling water and plant nutrients, controlling the air we breathe, designing the first Martian greenhouse and deciding which plants are best suited for space are the main research activities of the Facility.

Like all public servants, those responsible for materiel management are having to adapt to an ever-changing environment. This requires striking a balance between providing innovative and prompt service and ensuring sound stewardship and accountability. In addressing these challenges, Janice Cochrane will talk about the importance of fostering continuous learning based on a solid foundation of values and ethics. More specifically, she will provide insight into the directions of the new Canada School of Public Service, including how the school will work in partnership with clients to meet their learning needs.

"If you don't use it, you lose it" is something all brain researchers can agree on. In this address we will examine what happens to intelligence as we age – there is a lot of good news for us there! We will discuss 30 things that we can do to maintain peak mental ability for as long as we live. There are habits we can develop early in life that will keep us mentally alert for our whole life.