There is a sentence telling me the columnist has NEVER served on a committee of a major employer in Canada.

He writes : "In this (derailed conspiracy-theory) view, public employees are a special-interest group driven by self-interest to expand their numbers and to seize resources and privileges from the general public."

Hello? We're supposed to believe it's just a theory, that public employees are a special-interest group driven to expand their numbers?

Laugh out loud!

Here, columnist, let me paraphrase transcripts of committee meetings that happen around a tables all the time in big Canadian business employing lots of public sector folks:

(Corporate rep): "The report says union worker Fred twisted his back while using a ladder improperly."

(Union rep): "SEE! I'VE TOLD YOU PEOPLE THIS FOR MONTHS! FRED WAS TOO RUSHED BECAUSE THERE AREN'T ENOUGH FREDS! WE NEED TO HIRE TEN MORE! OR WE STRIKE! ME AND MY NDP CAMPAIGN MANAGER HEREBY DECLARE WAR ON UNDERSTAFFING! HIRE MORE! HIRE MORE!"