[See Update posted December 8, 2015]
Don Butler at the Ottawa Citizen notes that shortly before calling the election, the Conservative government extended the term of Mark O'Neill, its appointee as director of the Canadian Museum of History. O'Neill was appointed in 2011 and his term did not expire until June 2016 (but he could reasonably expect to have some assurance about his future before the term actually expired). He was re-appointed until 2021.
The appointment was one of a slew of extensions and early re-appointments undertaken by the Harper government shortly before the election. Unlike many of the re-appointees, O'Neill serves "at pleasure" and his appointment could be theoretically be cancelled at any time.
