Mr. Chair, I really have to take time here to explain a bit. I've been 41 years in the government, 38 of which was in human resource management. I've done executive recruiting. I've been involved in all aspects of labour relations. Then you go back to competencies and merit systems.
When I was asked if I was interested to stand for the position, I made a point to indicate that when I was executive director eight years ago, one of the biggest problems we had was credibility with Canadians because of the politicization of the board and the way the appointment process ran, the selection. So I indicated that they should go to a merit-based system.
What I want to share with you is that, to me, it was fundamental that a high-quality competency, with no political interference of the selection process, was fundamental to the success, the credibility, and the competence of the board.