All right. So the number of appeals has declined precipitously over the last year to 16 months, roughly.
I think part of the reason for this success is that the department, under the leadership of Deputy Minister Shugart, established something that was colloquially known as the “spike unit”.
I don't think you ever liked that term, but anyway, it caught on.
This was a group basically of doctors, lawyers, and other experts who reviewed previously denied cases that were up for appeal and, as you said today in your testimony, granted those cases that, on the balance of probabilities, were likely to succeed at the tribunal.
Can Deputy Minister Shugart confirm whether that unit continues to be in operation? As the backlog continues to dissipate and is eventually eliminated, what is the future of that unit, and how can its work be integrated into the long-term process of turning around fair decisions quickly for CPPD applicants?