I am not aware of progress made with respect to the appointment of returning officers. I know that C-2, the Federal Accountability Act, changes the rules of the game regarding the appointment of returning officers. At present, I have no idea of when exactly those provisions will come into force, and even less do I know the scope of preparations Elections Canada has made to put those provisions into place.
However—and I say this without prejudice—I imagine I will have to check where the authority lies and what powers the Chief Electoral Officer will have with respect to returning officers. I still believe that the Chief Electoral Officer will be the person to issue instructions, but that could indeed end up generating even more complaints.