We do. I think we need to look at the how of delivering services. We've given some examples of a few areas of the what--for example, economic development agencies. It is my understanding that there are 100 communications officials at Industry Canada. Is that a necessary expenditure on the part of the Government of Canada?
I know that would be a drop in the bucket, but the bigger issue our members face is that compared with those in the private sector, salaries in general are dramatically higher in the public service than in the private sector. When you add pension benefits into the mix, they're ridiculously higher than what is available in the private sector.
Unfortunately, even recent decisions on the part of the Government of Canada are making the problem worse rather than making it better. I know how tricky it can be to deal with civil service unions, but we have provincial governments looking at wage freezes, and yet the federal government is looking at fairly decent wage increases in new civil service contracts that are being signed.
We need to start grappling with our debt and deficit problems and we need to start looking at how we are spending our dollars within the civil service.
The other thing we have to consider is the productivity issue. I think many of our members believe—and I have to admit I believe they accurately believe—that often in the civil service there are two or three people doing the job that one person might do in the private sector.
I want to say—