{"id":17920,"date":"2025-02-22T20:13:00","date_gmt":"2025-02-22T20:13:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/torontotribune.ca\/index.php\/2025\/02\/22\/liberal-leadership-candidates-split-on-whether-to-shrink-public-service-national\/"},"modified":"2025-02-22T20:13:00","modified_gmt":"2025-02-22T20:13:00","slug":"liberal-leadership-candidates-split-on-whether-to-shrink-public-service-national","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/torontotribune.ca\/index.php\/2025\/02\/22\/liberal-leadership-candidates-split-on-whether-to-shrink-public-service-national\/","title":{"rendered":"Liberal leadership candidates split on whether to shrink public service – National"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Liberal leadership<\/a> candidates have contrasting plans for Canada\u2019s federal public service<\/a> \u2014 with presumed front-runner Mark Carney<\/a> taking the most aggressive stance so far.<\/p>\n

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Carney recently vowed to cap the size of the public service and rein in government spending.<\/p>\n

While he hasn\u2019t said where this cap would be set or how much he would reduce spending, Carney told a press conference on Wednesday he would review program budgets and use new technology like artificial intelligence to improve efficiency.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a result, we will balance the operational budget within three years,\u201d Carney said.<\/p>\n

Rival candidate Karina Gould isn\u2019t planning to trim the public service, her campaign said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt a time when our country is under threat, on the brink of a major trade war and Canadians\u2019 jobs are on the line, now is not the time to make major cuts to the public service,\u201d said Emily Jackson, a spokesperson for Gould. \u201cWe need public servants to do the big things Canadians rely on them for.\u201d<\/p>\n

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During his first month in office, U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to impose steep tariffs on Canada, including 25 per cent levies on steel and aluminum imports starting March 12. His threat of 25 per cent across-the-board tariffs, with a lower 10 per cent levy on Canadian energy, is currently on pause.<\/p>\n

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Jackson said that if Canada should need a major new program to provide income supports to keep people and businesses afloat in a trade war, sending the public service into turmoil would be the \u201cwrong approach.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor someone to say they will balance the budget in three years means they will be making massive cuts to the programs and policies Canadians rely on,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Jackson said Gould has committed to increasing the salaries of Canadian Armed Forces members and that she supports remote work that ensures \u201cproductivity, fairness and the effective delivery of government services.\u201d<\/p>\n

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As part of a spending review, the Liberal government announced in its 2024 budget a plan to find savings through attrition in the federal public service.<\/p>\n

While cutting permanent employees wasn\u2019t part of the initial plan, federal departments and agencies have since started to announce layoffs and reductions in hiring. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada announced in January a plan to cut roughly 3,300 jobs over the next three years, including about 660 permanent employees.<\/p>\n

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