Anita Anand announces nationwide cuts in public service positions to save $4.2bn over five years
Treasury Board President Anita Anand announced that no government ministry or agency will be exempt from the process of eliminating 5,000 public-service positions, as detailed in a recent report by BNN Bloomberg.
Anand, overseeing much of the public service, stated that all ministers are required to engage in the cost-cutting initiative, not just the largest departments.
The 2024 budget, which was tabled on Tuesday, outlines that these reductions will occur through natural attrition, aiming to save $4.2bn over the next five years.
However, this plan has sparked concern from the main union representing federal workers. Chris Aylward, president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, expressed in a news release that with Canada's population increasing, there is a greater need for public-sector workers.
He highlighted specific areas where more personnel are crucial, such as reducing long waits at borders and airports.
Currently, the federal government's latest data shows that the core public service employs 357,247 workers, excluding members of the Armed Forces and the RCMP.
Reflecting on recent increases in public service employment, particularly post-COVID-19, Anand explained, “We have seen a significant growth in the public service over the past number of years, specifically following the COVID-19 pandemic, when it was natural for us to have additional public servants to manage massive programs that we were implementing.”
She concluded, “We are simply looking at ways in which we can save money, cut red tape, and ensure that our taxpayer dollars are allocated towards our government's priorities.” Anand made these remarks while heading into a caucus meeting on Wednesday.
