Mr. Speaker, the relocation services provided by Royal LePage include taking advantage of volume purchases and providing advice to relocating employees and their families, not the removal of household goods which are covered under separate contractual arrangements. That may be part of the explanation.
The integrated relocation program is mandatory for members of the Canadian Forces and the RCMP. In 2003 there were 14,772 relocations under the program. This new procurement stemmed from a ruling by the CITT and a perception of conflict of interest received by the department relating to the earlier award of this contract. An internal investigation concluded that there was no conflict of interest.
The total value of the new contracts is approximately $155 million, not including the flow through cost to third party suppliers, which would be on top of that. This is a competitive, open and transparent process.