I would just like to confirm for the Members that between January 1st and

December 31, 2013, there were 1,605 public service appointments. One hundred three of these, or 6.4 percent, were by direct appointment. Affirmative action candidates make up 67 percent of direct appointments in 2013. Graduate nurses, social workers, interns and teachers constitute 15 percent of all direct appointments.

As the Member indicates, direct appointments are only one tool. It is a very rigorous process it goes through. All of our deputy ministers have been delegated staffing authority and in order to get a direct appointment, you have to have it supported by a Minister and it goes through Cabinet. For someone like myself, who has a lot of relatives, it makes it very difficult because they have to declare a conflict of interest whenever that happens. So it is a very good process. It is one that is based on fairness and merit and we will continue to use it. I agree we need to expand it if we are going to meet our targets. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.