Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Giroux and Ms. Vanderwees, thank you for being here.
Monsieur Giroux, in your report on the supplementary estimates you said that from 2015-16 to 2020-21 the number of FTEs grew by an average of 2.3% annually, roughly from 342,000 to 391,000.
I also have here a quote from The Hill Times saying that you estimate that “$2.3 billion of this additional spending is needed for the salaries and benefits of an expanding bureaucracy”, which would see the size of the workforce grow to around 409,000 jobs within five years.
That $2.3 billion is quite a number. What is the guiding factor for the significant increases in the public service?