One of the underlying things I see through all of this process is the role of outside consultants. Some consultant goes to a minister to sell him or her a solution and says, “You can consolidate everything. You can have huge savings.” Then the process starts. Every step of the way, from conceptualization of the idea to implementing the idea, then solving the problems due to that implementation, then going back and saying that....
Through all of this process, it appears that the government was relying very exclusively on outside consultants instead of relying on public service employees. The difference is that the public service employees who are equally talented—probably more talented, more knowledgeable—don't have profit motive, unlike an outside consultant.
Do you think there was excessive reliance by the government on outside consultants?