This is what restraint looks like

After a very brief flirtation with fiscal restraint early in their time in office, the Newfoundland and Labrador Progressive "Conservatives" began a ramp-up in public-sector spending, including public-sector hiring, which shows no real sign of abating.

By way of Statscan CANSIM Table 282-0011, here is a chart of total public-sector employment in the province over the past decade and a bit. Of necessity, this includes federal and municipal public-sector employment, as Statistics Canada has discontinued detailed breakdowns by order of government and crown corporations. However, historically, the provincial public sector (civil service, health care, education, provincial crown corporations) accounts for most of the total.

Figures are in thousands. The raw monthly figures are shown as a pale dotted line, with the twelve-month running average shown as a heavier, solid line.

No, your eyes do not decive you: even up to this spring, the public-sector employed labour force was continuing to grow, with a twelve-month average of 70,000, nearly 15,000 more than when the "conservative" spending spree began in 2006.

In November 2012, the one-month total hit 73,100. And no, your eyes still do not decieve you, that is almost 20,000 more than the monthly low of 53,400 reached in April 2005.