Mr. Speaker, honourable Members will recall that for the past several days I have been asking the Minister of Economic Development and Tourism a question about the Baffin fishery. I am certainly not happy with the sorts of answers I have been receiving, and I can assure the Minister that this issue is not about to go away.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister should know that a $1400 contract was signed between his department and Co-Pro Limited of Ottawa, to report on initiatives identified at the January 1991 Atlantic fisheries advisory committee meeting. One of the matters raised at this meeting was that the marine fisheries advisor should be retained to provide advice, regulatory and other factors impacting upon marine fisheries development in Baffin. Will the Minister confirm that in October 1991, an additional $41,500 contract was given to Co-Pro Limited, the same consultant who did the advisory committee report, as a retainer for marine fishery advisor services?

Mr. Pollard.

That is correct, Mr. Speaker. I believe it was under the economic development agreement subcommittee. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary, Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Honourable Members should be really interested in this next one. The Minister already knows that as the marine fishery advisor, Co-Pro Limited pushed for a study of vessel sourcing options related to the acquisition of reserves booked for exploratory fisheries off the Baffin coast. Will the Minister confirm that in February 1992, another $19,510 was committed by way of a contract with Co-Pro Limited, the marine fishery advisor, to carry out the study of vessel sourcing options?

Mr. Pollard.

I believe that to be true, Mr. Speaker. Yes.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Supplementary to the Minister of Economic Development and Tourism. There seems to be quite a pattern here whereby Co-Pro Limited of Ottawa becomes involved in recommending that certain work should be carried out and then receives a substantial contract to carry out the work. Will the Minister confirm that in the March 1992 report on vessel sourcing options, Co-Pro has again recommended that proposals be solicited through southern organization of insurable owners and operators?

Mr. Pollard.

Mr. Speaker, they were looking for a vessel to do some exploratory work in the South Baffin, and none of the three vessels that are available or are physically present in Iqaluit, or the ones in Pangnirtung, are ruled out. So all the vessels in the NWT, in that particular area that could do that kind of work, were taken into consideration as well, Mr. Speaker.

Ms. Mike, last supplementary.

What is the status of recommendations received in the Co-Pro report?

Mr. Pollard.

Mr. Speaker, that vessel is being sourced under those recommendations at the present time.

Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Mr. Pollard.

Mr. Speaker, regarding the people

who are on leave without pay, when they returned and said they were at the end of their leave, they would be given a job of equal stature to the one that they left With regard to the second people who are perhaps in that layoff situation and would have priority for a period of time, we would certainly extend by the length of time that we had the hiring freeze on, their ability to get a job with this government. So we will extend, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary, Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Why would the extension apply to the individuals that were given priority for layoff and not to individuals that were on leave without pay?

Mr. Pollard.

Mr. Speaker, as soon as those people who were on leave without pay come back to us they would be given a job regardless of whether or not the freeze was on. We had made an agreement with them to give them leave. They had agreed to have no pay for that particular time. When their leave expired, we would give them a job of equal stature.

Supplementary, Mrs. Marie-Jewell.