Thank you for the question, Mr. Choquette.
I would say first, having had the privilege of serving at the National Energy Board as the chief operating officer in a previous life, that the NEB is an independent employer. There is a degree of independence about it.
The finances that it receives for its operations are approximately 90% cost recovered from industry, so I think you would find that industry, as I said in my testimony, clearly recognizes the benefit of a strong regulator and how how essential it is.
Where the NEB suffers, quite frankly, is the imposition of standard pay practices that are commonplace in the public service, but which don't serve the NEB very well when it resides in downtown Calgary and is competing for extremely qualified technical talent. It finds itself in a difficult position to compete for, in terms of its compensation basis and hiring practices, talent and to retain it.
I think that one of the strongest recommendations that I could offer is to ensure a strong, well-financed, and flexible National Energy Board to provide the quality of oversight, capability, and competence that Canadians expect of it.