You mentioned, as has Mr. Fadden, the changes you made to the appointment system. You say these were made in order to put an end to partisan appointments. But did we not go to the other extreme? In practical terms, the minister no longer carries the responsibility in so far as he is not aware of the detailed background of the appointees. Furthermore, at least in terms of perception, the general public does not really get the impression that partisan appointments are a thing of the past. We still have one appointee who has been a member of the Progressive-Conservative Party of Canada. I use the full name of that party because there has never been a progressive-conservative party in Quebec. This party, as you know, is no longer in existence. The Conservative Party of Canada has still a presence in Quebec, but one could say it is not very strong.
More seriously, to get back to my question, Mr. Minister, I would like to know if we did not go from one extreme to the other by eliminating any ministerial accountability in order to eliminate partisanship.