At the risk of repeating myself, at one time it was the board of directors that appointed its chair. There were no political appointments. This meant that, for a long time, the Port of Montreal was well served by people who wanted the Port of Montreal to be competitive. Unionized employees were involved in the process, and we were invited to participate in international meetings where we went in search of customers. Obviously, a political appointment would taint our labour relations, which can already be difficult in the maritime industry.
In fact, it's important to remember that we don't negotiate with shipping companies. We negotiate with an employers' association that is appointed by the shipping lines to negotiate with us. It's hard enough for us to get along with them. If, on top of that, the minister can appoint the chair of the port authority board, which is not our employer, but which sometimes intervenes in our labour relations, that still worries us a bit.