Hon. Percy E. Downe: Senator Gold, why has the government allowed the concentration of federal government employment in Ottawa and the National Capital Region to reach 47% of all federal employees, when the historical average was about one third in the Ottawa area and two thirds in the rest of Canada?

Senator Downe: Thank you, Senator Gold. I appreciate that and look forward to hearing what you find out.

To appreciate the positive impact of decentralization of government departments and the jobs connected to them, we need to look no further than Charlottetown, where having over 1,600 employees of Veterans Affairs — still today the only departmental national headquarters located outside the Ottawa area — adds $122 million in payroll to the Prince Edward Island economy every year.

When will the Government of Canada start to provide similar benefits to other regions of Canada, particularly as the last two years have demonstrated the ability of many federal public servants to work from just about anywhere, not just office towers in downtown Ottawa? In other words, when will the rest of Canada be able to enjoy what Prince Edward Island and Ottawa are currently enjoying?