Environment committee  Oh, if we include David Green, it would have been four returning and three new.

Environment committee  That's correct.

Environment committee  I would call that a mix. However, I might also add for the information of the committee that approximately four years ago.... Also, you might not be aware that we periodically receive letters of instruction from the Minister of the Environment on things, on processes, that the mi

Environment committee  I'll just follow up very quickly, because in response to this, what has happened in terms of renewal since the passage of the Species at Risk Act is that there's been a two-thirds turnover of co-chairs on COSEWIC simply as a consequence of COSEWIC's existing processes.

Environment committee  Well, to my mind, a political appointment would be one in which you appoint an individual because of his or her political affiliations, the degree to which their activities or thoughts or opinions would be consistent with a particular political body of thought. A ministerial appo

Environment committee  Yes. I would add that they're perhaps analogous to judiciary appointments, which are prime ministerial appointments but not political appointments.

Environment committee  I am personally unaware of specific instances.

Environment committee  No, I'm afraid I don't, because from COSEWIC's perspective, we don't deal with recovery issues, so I wouldn't necessarily be party to that information.

Environment committee  Well, it depends. There are four units. Two of them, I believe, are endangered, one is special concern, and I simply cannot remember what the status of the fourth one is.

Environment committee  What I'm suggesting, and what these two recommendations are meant to reflect, is that from COSEWIC's perspective vis-à-vis those sections of the act that pertain to COSEWIC, we feel that there's not a huge need for change. In large part, I think it's because the act was written i

Environment committee  Sorry; what's the difference between a ministerial appointment and a political appointment?

Environment committee  I've already stated as such this morning.

Environment committee  Basically, the minister currently has 90 days, or three months, to issue a response statement. Once the assessments have been communicated to the Governor in Council, the Governor in Council has nine months to make a legal listing decision. So it's basically three plus nine.

Environment committee  I consulted with members of COSEWIC. Basically, what happened is that I established a SARA parliamentary working group two and a half years ago. That working group met and made some recommendations. Then, in March, prior to being notified that I might be appearing before this c

Environment committee  No.