It depends. Each department operates differently. Some departments are larger than others. The larger departments get better results than the smaller ones.
If you look at the mechanisms that departments have available, you see that they can use Canada Revenue Agency, the receiver general, or their own facilities or people to try to collect the debt. There is some debt that, frankly, is just not worth collecting. It's not worth the effort.
I would tell you that the experience varies. Canada Revenue Agency is very effective. Some of the smaller organizations struggle with that, and maybe there is a better way.