Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
We are pleased to see that all parties are now in favour of one of Mr. Kingsley's main recommendations, that returning officers be appointed by the Chief Electoral Officer, thus echoing a recommendation that the Bloc québécois has often made. The last time, in December 2004, Mr. Guimond introduced a bill containing a provision that does not appear in Mr. Kingsley's recommendations and which, we think, should be included, and that is that the said appointments should be made following a public competition.
Under the Quebec statute, this procedure has been followed in Quebec for 25 years. It was updated in 1989. Section 503 of Quebec's Election Act very clearly describes the public competition process. I believe that this is what is lacking for the appointment of returning officers to be done in a manner such that those officers have all the neutrality and objectivity we are entitled to expect.
Mr. Carpentier.