Government Operations committee  Do I have any time left? I don't have any more.

Government Operations committee  The efforts made and the amounts invested, the human cost and the financial cost should serve some purpose.

Government Operations committee  Yes.

Government Operations committee  All right.

Government Operations committee  They very often love what they do. I remember that, at Health and Welfare, we couldn't get them out of the labs, at the time they were there. My last question concerns the note at the bottom of Attachment 4 which begins as follows: “Recruitment programs generate a lot of interest...”

Government Operations committee  Mr. Chairman was right to cut me off earlier since my time had elapsed. I'm nevertheless going to ask the question I wanted to ask you. It concerns the attached document that you distributed to us. That document states that, for a given period, in the core public administration, there were more women than men.

Government Operations committee  Values or family situation may be involved, as well as the consideration that one does not need to accumulate more years of service. The other factor concerns scientists. You referred to the need for rigorous planning. All positions are important; I don't mean that entry positions are less important than scientific positions.

Government Operations committee  Do I have any time left, Mr. Chairman?

Government Operations committee  This is nothing personal, Ms. Gobeil, but I have experienced it, and I still hear about what officials are going through. I'm not just talking about senior officials, deputy ministers and assistant deputy ministers, but there are baby boomers among the directors general and directors who haven't become bilingual or who are no longer bilingual.

Government Operations committee  Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for being here this afternoon, Ms. Barrados, Mr. Coffin and Ms. Gobeil. We know this isn't a news item we learned about before inviting you to come and testify. For a number of years now, we've been hearing, and there is evidence to support this, that there will be a deficit, regardless of the size, that the reason is demographic and that the people in the baby boom generation will be leaving.

Government Operations committee  The amended motion would read as follows: That the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates immediately undertake a study of the report by the Public Appointments Commission Secretariat on the appointments process for various agencies such as the Immigration and Refugee Board, the Parole Board, the National Advisory Council on Aging, and so on, and that the committee report its findings to the House of Commons.

Government Operations committee  As far as our future business goes, Madam Chair, does that mean that—

Government Operations committee  ... we will do that on the 29th, when Mr. Fortier will not be coming?

Government Operations committee  I agree. We would prefer to have Mr. Fortier come, but if he does not come, we will invite—

Government Operations committee  I have no problem with that.