Mr. Speaker, let me begin by saying that appointments are about finding the best person for the job. With all due respect, I truly believe that if the hon. member appointed his wife because she was the one who would do the best job, then why should she not be appointed that position.
If we look at the bill and the amendments, the bill does not really talk about appointments. It does say clearly that the corporation is to be established as export development Canada and will consist of a board of directors composed of 15 directors including a chairperson and president. That is what is in the bill.
One of the new changes in the bill, which was not in the previous bill, is the fact that the board can now establish committees. This is a new part of the act. It is not the method of appointment but that a committee can be established and it can actually exercise any powers and perform any duties delegated to it by the board.
That is the new amendment that we are proposing to this legislation. With all due respect to my hon. colleague, there really is nothing about the manner of appointment in the legislation whatsoever.