Second only to out-and-out corruption, nothing offends the sensibilities of Canadians more than patronage: the impression that there's still the “who you know” style of politics in Canada and that appointments are made based on something other than merit. Therefore, I think we're overdue to revisit the Public Appointments Commission, which we've recently learned isn't dormant. It's up and running and being funded, although they have nothing to do. People go to work at the Public Appointments Commission every morning and stare at the walls, I suppose, and wait for something to happen.
Notwithstanding the million or so dollars a year that's funding a commission that's doing nothing, I think we should be revisiting the whole notion. Being the oversight committee that deals with public appointments, I think it's our duty to study and comment on the creation of the Public Appointments Commission and urge the government to have a study of it and then a report. I think we'll probably conclude that we would urge the government to get busy.
If I could, then, I'll leave that as an item for consideration for future business: a study of the Public Appointments Commission.