I think independence is absolutely key. If the chair is beholden to somebody for their position, then that ultimately does compromise the independence, and it may in fact also set up a situation where that posting, and it's just one of those structural concerns, may become a bit of a plum patronage thing. It's repaying a favour, so there's some level there.
I like the notion of a structure in which officers of Parliament are accountable to Parliament. This is a very important thing. Currently, my sense is that too much is structured in the supposed executive branch of our government. Really, in a parliamentary democracy you don't have an executive per se, but too much can happen outside of the purview of the core of our democracy, which is Parliament.
It really does need to also not be beholden to one particular side of the House. Obviously you're going to have ebbs and flows with respect to the composition of the House, but it's ultimately to the institution of Parliament on behalf of Canadians that I think the line of accountability needs to be drawn.