Thank you, Madam Chair.
Ms. Barrados, distinguished guests, thank you so much for being with us this morning.
As a former member of the federal public service, I am one of the statistics you referred to in your report. Indeed, I took a leave of absence that allowed me to run in a federal election. I have a few questions for you.
In the documents that have been provided by researchers with the Commission, it is mentioned that the budget grew by 26% in the last year. To begin with, I would like you to explain the reasons for that increase. This is the first time I've had a chance to look at a report from the Public Service Commission, and just out of curiosity, I was wondering why it provides no information with respect to the size and growth of the public service. If that information is already in there, perhaps you could show me where it is.
Finally, we are aware of the fact that we're now entering a period where the available workforce is declining significantly. Job applications and offers number 750,000, which shows that the Commission is still very active in this area. However, I am wondering what steps you intend to take, if a labour shortage does materialize, to ensure that you have highly qualified people working in the civil service.