Earlier, we exclusively reported significant changes were made to an economic analysis commissioned by the provincial New Democrat-controlled special committee on sustainable aquaculture. Asked about those changes committee chair Robin Austin explained "mistakes were made" by the consulting firm responsible for that analysis - something, he stressed, that's allowable in a working draft. And, in an interview with Public Eye, MMK Consulting Inc. president Stuart Mackay confirmed Mr. Austin's explanation.

"The difference between the figures in the working draft and the final draft" - which saw a decrease in the number of full-time equivalents employed by the aquaculture industry - "is entirely our responsibility. It's a 100-page report. And we came up with a number that we found - as we went through our due diligence - that we couldn't defend. So we changed it...It's not usual for numbers to change in a working draft," said Mr. Stuart.

He also said, "between February 16 and March 31, I did not receive a single telephone call from any member of the committee or have any contact (with the committe) other than through the clerk. So they've been very professional in their dealings with the me."