Let me give a little bit of context. There has been an issue raised about whether progress is being made versus whether we have an optimal situation. I would argue that progress is being made.
There are six areas that the Auditor General has raised over a period of time. Let me flag first the management of vacancies. I'll come back quickly to this. Second is communication about the process. Third is communication about decisions. Fourth is dealing with expiry of term. Fifth is the transparency of the appointment process, and the sixth is orientation and training.
As you'll see in the Auditor General's report, we have introduced fairly substantial changes to the orientation and training, which are acknowledged. For example, the Canadian School of Public Service has developed a new training program for all GIC appointees. Privy Council Office has implemented a one-on-one orientation session for chairs, CEOs, and heads of agencies, and almost all appointees of crown corporations and small entities surveyed by the OAG confirm that they received orientation and training upon appointment, including orientation concerning expected standards of conduct. That is a significant response to legitimate concerns raised by the Auditor General going back a decade concerning what best practice should be.
But Mr. Chair, I'd like to come to the vacancy issue, because it's been raised by a number of members here. It is important to look at both the numbers that are reported in the Auditor General's report and the interpretation of the numbers. The numbers come from a survey that was done over 33 months from January 2006 to September 2008, 33 months during which there were two elections and a change of government, which pose challenges. The measurements that are provided really look at the average tenure opening, but the report also provides, Mr. Chairman, a very interesting snapshot as of September 20, 2008, of where this changing process has come to.
Let me just flag five—