Cabinet-making, deconstructed

Quoth The Provincial Government:

I know, when we first got in, we were, when we were, y'know, basically trying to achieve efficiencies and savings, that we streamlined and cut that cabinet back to the best of our ability, but we've expanded it, not because of a preference just to bring people into cabinet, to be quite honest witya, it's to try and deal with the massive doodies and obligations that we have.

1) Is there any objective evidence at all that when We, The Provincial Government, first got in, we tried to achieve efficiences and savings?

2) Is there any evidence that We succeded?

3) Invoking the rule of opposites, if We, The Provincial Government, say that we've expanded it, not because of a preference just to bring people into cabinet, to be quite honest witya, then, in fact, we've expanded it, because of a preference just to bring people into cabinet, to be quite honest witya.