Conservative Leader says he'd make cuts to public service if he becomes prime minister
If Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre became prime minister of Canada, he would definitely cut back on the number of public servants in Ottawa.
But what about working from home? That question was in the news yet again after U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive order requiring federal workers back at the office full-time.
What matter is people getting the work done, Poilievre told Radio-Canada.
However, he did say public sector workers need to be given clear assignments and be monitored to ensure they're completing their tasks.
He also said he would cut the number of workers in the federal public service, according to The Canadian Press, since the federal Liberals drove up the deficit in part by hiring 110,000 workers.
There were 367,772 workers in the federal public service, according to Ottawa, compared to 257,138 in 2014.
The federal government failed to meet its target when it came to the return-to-office (RTO) policy in the first month of the full implementation of the rule, according to a report.
At the Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) – the largest department in the core public service – compliance rate failed to meet the federal government’s target of 85% in September 2024.
“Many federal workers are feelings the negative effects of the return-to-office mandate,” said a Facebook post from the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), the largest federal public sector union, which has filed a challenge of the new rules in Federal Court.
“Flexibility doesn’t detract from work - it increases productivity and improves work-life balance. We’re fighting for fairness for all federal workers, because #RemoteWorks.”
PSAC national president Sharon DeSousa said in a media statement that if Poilievre is looking to cut costs, he should look at reducing government outsourcing.
"Reckless public service cuts will always cost more in the long run, and it’s the people who depend on these vital public services who ultimately pay the price," she said, according to the Canadian Press. "We have one of the best public services in the world, and it’s common sense that fewer people helping a growing population isn’t going to solve the problems families are facing today."
Nathan Prier, Canadian Association of Professional Employees president, said the union is "disappointed" with Poilievre's comments.
"It is… irresponsible to be talking about arbitrary downsizing when we need to ready ourselves to stand up to the U.S. giant next door. A strong federal workforce is our best defence against Trump."
To reduce costs and boost productivity, Poilievre should look at repealing the RTO mandate and modernizing government infrastructure, Prier told the Canadian Press.
"The root of the problem lies in outdated management approaches, bloated senior management ranks, and a record-shattering overreliance on costly and nepotistic private contractors," he said. "What the federal workforce truly needs is a leader who invests in recruiting and retaining top talent for the work that needs to be done, not someone who is mostly indistinguishable from Elon Musk in his plans for the public sector."
