70(1)Where the Minister is authorized to appoint a conciliation officer, the Minister may appoint a mediator at any time before he has appointed a conciliation board or before he has informed the parties that he does not deem it advisable to appoint a conciliation board.

70(2)Where the Minister has appointed a mediator after a conciliation officer has been appointed, the appointment of the conciliation officer is thereby terminated.

70(3)Where a mediator is appointed under this section, he shall forthwith confer with the parties and endeavour to effect a collective agreement.

70(4)Section 61 applies mutatis mutandis to a mediator and a mediator has all the powers of a conciliation board or a member thereof under section 67.

70(5)The report of a mediator has the same effect as the report of a conciliation officer.

70(6)Where a mediation officer is directed to report under subsection 71(3), the mediation officer is a mediator within the meaning of and for the purposes of this section.