Public Accounts committee  That's the new process that was implemented in July 2007.

Public Accounts committee  First of all, of course, we have no control over the number of claims. These claims are referred to us by either Citizenship and Immigration Canada or the Canada Border Services Agency, so they're “within Canada” claims. They either claim at the border or they claim at an airport, or they claim after coming in over the border and attending at an inland office.

Public Accounts committee  It's a great country.

Public Accounts committee  I'm ensuring that this is done by chairing the selection advisory board, by being present at meetings of the selection advisory board where we do the initial screening of the candidates. For example, it may interest you to know that we're in the middle of a campaign now where we're considering a very large number of candidates.

Public Accounts committee  No.

Public Accounts committee  Certainly, the process is working a lot better than it did when I started as chairperson. There's no question about that. I think it's also only fair to say that when there's transition from any government to another government, or even within the same government, there's a hiatus in appointments.

Public Accounts committee  Absolutely. Yes.

Public Accounts committee  Certainly those are general criteria, but we have nine competencies that we test for in both the written test and the interview. They're specific behavioural competencies that are tested by way of either a written test or questions; for example, self-control, organizational skills, and analytical abilities, all the things one would expect a good decision-maker to have.

Public Accounts committee  Well, it may have been correct at that time. I'm not sure when he said it. But what I can say is that it's around 84% now, I think, because it changes constantly. Members' terms expire. New members are appointed.

Public Accounts committee  Yes, it is.

Public Accounts committee  It's two reasons. One is increased intake and the second is an insufficient number of decision-makers. It's both.

Public Accounts committee  My recollection is that the first meeting was held in either August or September of 2007. The membership on the board has changed over time. Originally there were two members appointed by the minister and by me. One was Matthew Garfield, who is the former chairperson of the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario and who is an arbitrator and lawyer who practices employment law and a part-time member of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal.

Public Accounts committee  There are currently nine members, including myself: four jointly appointed by me and the minister, four appointed by me, and then me as chairperson.

Public Accounts committee  This is an entirely new board that meets the decision of the government to accept the report of the Public Appointments Commission Secretariat—the head of that secretariat, Peter Harrison—that the former chairperson's advisory panel and the former selection board be merged into a selection advisory board.

Public Accounts committee  The other two members, if you're interested, are Gisele Morgan, who is from Montreal and is a former assistant deputy chairperson of the refugee protection division in Montreal; and, jointly appointed by me and the minister, Monsieur Roméo LeBlanc from Dieppe, New Brunswick, a retired professor.