I discovered, during the round table discussions that we held throughout Canada, that the place that I admire the most with regard to the appointment of deputy ministers is the province of Alberta. This is why I mentioned that province in my report as a model to be followed. I do not mean to say that this model should necessarily be followed to the letter, but there should at least be some process so as to allow qualified candidates to apply for these positions, instead of letting the Prime Minister decide on all of that.
I am not asking that the Prime Minister devote his days to the nomination process. Clearly, he will rely on the recommendations of his political assistants. The influence of those people is absolutely immense.