I think it's fair to say that the general approach to budgeting and resource allocation in the government is to focus on the programs, to make sure that spending is for appropriate purposes and directed at useful ends. The choice of particular business inputs, whether it's professional services, staff, or anything else is really a program decision that the deputy ministers of the departments involved would have to make. These decisions rest on their judgment of what combination of business inputs will best deliver the programs.
On November 23rd, 2009. See this statement in context.