Mr. Speaker, let me explain to the hon. member how this all works.
McKim is the advertising agency on specific issues for my department. It was chosen through the competitive process prescribed in the government communications policy and overseen by the advertising management group of the Department of Government Services.
By the way, this particular agency was chosen before this government came to office. Pending the review by government of contracting procedures for advertising companies, Health Canada was authorized to extend the contract to McKim for six months. It is not a huge contract. I believe yesterday the amount mentioned was $185 million. That is the whole tobacco strategy. This extension of contract is very small.