Government Operations committee  One point I can make is that regional rates of pay are an issue. Treasury Board Secretariat could talk to you about that. Obviously there are people who know a bit more about what you're asking, and I would just mention that for the benefit of the committee.

Government Operations committee  Thank you very much.

Government Operations committee  Domestically, you're talking about?

Government Operations committee  I don't know that we're aware of any studies or research, but I would say somebody probably looks at a number of factors, including what you've talked about, in trying to make a decision on a move or a relocation. But we don't have anything definitive I could talk about on that.

Government Operations committee  As a public servant, I really can't venture an opinion on a question like that, but what I would say to you, again, is that there are different reasons for different kinds of turnover and movement in the system. What's really important for us is to get a handle, department by dep

Government Operations committee  I really don't know. I personally have not been involved in anything like that, so I really couldn't comment, I'm sorry.

Government Operations committee  Do you mean the numbers on average per year?

Government Operations committee  Not to date, not that we're aware of. The only thing I can comment on is, for example, if someone works at Foreign Affairs and their career is going on postings and coming back to Ottawa and whatever, there will obviously be the cost-of-living provisions to equalize things when

Government Operations committee  We can provide those numbers. I don't want to try to list them here in a conversation. I think we've modelled out to 2020, so we'll give you the full prospect.

Government Operations committee  But they would have a lot of good data.

Government Operations committee  Thank you, Ms. Folco. First, the list of departments and their employment equity performance was published in The Hill Times last summer, because a request had been made to that effect. We can share that information quite easily, because it is in the public domain. Second, the

Government Operations committee  I have to tell you that I'm not able to give you a view or assessment on that, because I really don't look after that file. But I believe Madam Boudrias has appeared before you and may be invited to come back to explore that issue with you. The compensation group is under stress

Government Operations committee  I agree with you. Visible minorities are a very important priority. I deal with the central agency, and work with many public service managers who deal with the issue. We consider visible minorities very important; they are just as important as the other priorities. We have to fo

Government Operations committee  That really is a decision for the elected government. Anything of that nature really would be a political decision, and I'm unable to make any comment on things like that. It really, as you say, has to be made at the political level.

Government Operations committee  Any decision about moving a location of a department would be a political decision. There probably is some scope at the departmental planning level for looking at the smaller scale or moderate scale, at how they distribute work and things like that, and at the structure of a regi