I agree with you when you say that this is a challenge facing society as a whole. However, with the thousands of employees that make up the public service and with Treasury Board as a mega employer, past shortages were anticipated quite some time ago. So, steps should have been taken a long time ago to ensure there would be no such shortage. Taxpayers expect nothing less from any business of this size.
On November 21st, 2006. See this statement in context.