The question that has come to my mind is this: why did the federal government wait until the average age reached 50 before looking for a way to provide for the succession? I think it should have thought about it from the outset. We know that people who work will be retiring at some point. Why has it waited so long?
It's as though a business had waited until its employees reached the age of 60 before it started thinking about hiring young people. It seems to me it should have asked itself that question and prepared for the succession a number of years ago, rather than wait to be faced with a fait accompli.