What Is a 'Sustainable' Staffing Level in Mark Carney's Government?
Observers expect significant cuts in the federal budget to be announced by the Carney government in November. Opinions differ on what constitutes a “sustainable level” of public service staffing and its impact on the federal government.
On October 29, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne emphasized the need to return public service staffing to a "sustainable level," specifically referring to the workforce size before the COVID-19 pandemic.
The federal government will soon provide details on how a proposed 15% reduction in staffing across most federal departments and agencies will affect the public service.
Planned Staffing Cuts
- The largest reduction will start with a 7.5% cut in the next fiscal year.
- This will be followed by a 2.5% cut in 2027-28.
- An additional 5% cut is planned for fiscal year 2028-29.
François-Philippe Champagne: "The public service had to return to a 'sustainable level,' pointing to the number of workers before the COVID-19 pandemic."
These changes mark a significant shift in public service staffing levels, targeting a return to pre-pandemic norms through phased reductions over the next three years.
Newsletter Note
The Ottawa Citizen provides updates directly to subscribers' inboxes by 7 p.m.; a welcome email is sent upon signing up. Issues with signup have been reported.
Interested readers are encouraged to subscribe for ongoing coverage of this topic.
Author's summary: The Carney government aims to reduce federal public service staffing by 15% over three years, targeting pre-pandemic employment levels as a sustainable benchmark.