Mr. Brian Patterson:

I was diagnosed with cancer in October 2007. I had a major operation. I was expected to return to normal service in January but I developed secondaries and I had a year of chemotherapy, which included the dinner which was referred to. At the time, I put in place ... there was no legal ... legal deputy chair position. But I ensured when I was in hospital that my ... the man who eventually was my successor, Jim Farrell, that he chaired the authority meetings and was available to the executive at all time. And then when I had the second round of it, I put in place that system again. I went to the Minister in February of 2008 and said that I was not ... I didn't want to seek reappointment and he wasn't maybe going to reappointment me anyway, but I certainly didn't want to seek reappointment. So I put him on notice that as of April, he had to have a new chairman. Did I fulfil my duties? Not 100%. Absolutely, I was ... I was ... I wasn't firing on all cylinders. But I believe that I put in place arrangements to make sure that the authority was in good hands.