I believe that, from the moment this was implemented, the situation improved a thousand fold compared to what had previously existed. The incompetence of a large number of returning officers was apparent, known to everyone and even to all the political parties.
In Quebec, regulations were passed by the National Assembly Committee requiring the Chief Electoral Officer to table his regulations and have them passed. Those regulations expressly state the qualifications sought for returning officers and for the public competition process. They include the procedure and the individuals who are empowered to evaluate the various applications. They also provide guidelines for applications for candidates.
For example, a former member is required to wait two years before applying for a returning officer position. He first has to serve out a waiting period. A number of criteria are stated in the regulations, which, I think, ensure that appointments are made on merit—as Mr. Kingsley said—and in a very specific manner, through a process that is known, public, mandatory and therefore also helps to re-establish the relationship of trust between electors and the electoral system.