Mr. Chairman, the department is pursuing avenues to try and hire people back that are on a lay off list, as is every other department in the government. The fact that an employee that has received the severance package is aboriginal, would not affect any differently than a non-aboriginal person would, their ability to be recruited back into the public service, other than the normal priorities. The fact of it is, we will have to go back to the specifics. But the severance package is intended to reflect notice and history, as opposed to a forward look in terms of their ability to be recruited back into the public service. If they have taken a package, and they come back into the public service without the years of service to their credit, we will have to come back

to the Member, with the specific guidelines that we follow in each case. They are consistent across the government. Thank you.