In principle yes, because his appointment could still be perceived to infringe on the rule of impartiality. This is not an argument Mr. Chretien and his cronies appear to accept. But a fair-minded government should. To deny this is to deny democracy. But appointments outside of that narrow range must adhere strictly to the principle of impartiality.
Patronage is a habit left over from less enlightened days.
It can no longer be tolerated, for the sake of our democracy.