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Toronto Sun
9 minutes ago
- Toronto Sun
GOLDSTEIN: Canada's huge federal government bureaucracy needs to be downsized
During Justin Trudeau's Liberal government from 2015 to 2024, the federal bureaucracy grew in size by 43% Get the latest from Lorrie Goldstein straight to your inbox (L) Prime Minister Mark Carney and (R) former PM Justin Trudeau. Photo by File Photos / AFP via Getty Images While the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives warned last week that over 57,000 federal public service jobs could be cut between now and 2028 due to Prime Minister Mark Carney's restraint measures – assuming they occur – the reality is that a downsizing of the federal civil service is long overdue. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account During Justin Trudeau's Liberal government from 2015 to 2024, the federal bureaucracy grew in size by 43%, from 257,034 employees to 367,772, an increase of 110,738. That far outstrips the 15% increase in Canada's population between 2015 (35,606,734) and 2024 (41,012,563). The 43% growth rate of the federal public service also outpaced the 18.5% real growth rate of the economy, the 15.5% growth in total employment and the 25.5% growth of employment across the entire public sector, counting all orders of government. As Peter Nicholson, a former senior federal public servant and business executive who cited these figures in a policy paper last month for the Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy at the University of Saskatchewan observed: Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'There is no reason to expect the growth of the civil service to match, much less exceed, population growth … By 2024, the number of federal public servants per 1,000 population had reached the highest ratio (9.0) in at least 40 years during which governments of various ideological stripes have held power.' He noted this rapid growth occurred during an era when 'so much specialized and urgent work is being outsourced to consultants.' RECOMMENDED VIDEO On that issue, parliamentary budget officer Yves Giroux reported in 2023 that despite the rapid increase in the size of the federal public service, the Trudeau government was also spending $21.4 billion annually hiring outside help – 106% more than the $10.4 billion spent when Trudeau took power in 2015. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Giroux reported the total cost of paying a full-time equivalent position in the federal public service – including salaries, pensions and benefits – increased by 7.7 % from $126,634 in 2022-23 to $136,345 in 2023-24, 'exceeding the growth realized in any year since 2006-07.' Meanwhile, 'total personnel spending increased by 15.7% to $65.3 billion in 2023-24, from $56.5 billion in 2022-23.' Some of these increases can be attributed to new federal programs such as dental care and pharmacare and increased hiring during the 2020 pandemic. But that was five years ago and the size of the federal bureaucracy continued to increase every year after that up to 2024 – from 300,450 positions in 2020 to 319,601 in 2021; 335,957 in 2022; 357,247 in 2023 and 367,772 in 2024. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. As of March 31, 2025, the public service was reduced by 9,807 positions to 357,965, compared to the same period in 2024, marking the first annual decrease in a decade. Even with that 2.65% cut in the growth rate of the federal bureaucracy over one year, the overall 39% increase from 2015 to 2025 is well over twice the 16.6% growth rate of Canada's population during the same period. RECOMMENDED VIDEO In a paper earlier this month, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business reported that from 2013 to 2023 (two years of the Stephen Harper Conservative government, eight years of the Trudeau government) the size of the federal bureaucracy increased by 36%, compared to just 13% job growth in the private sector. 'The rapid growth of the federal workforce and the accompanying surge in payroll expenditures risk crowding out private-sector activity,' authors Alchad Alegbeh and Christina Santini warned. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'This trend can reduce overall productivity, slow long-term economic growth, and limit the government's ability to respond to future economic or fiscal shocks … 'The continued expansion of the federal public service – both in headcount and compensation – has become a growing source of concern for Canada's small and medium-sized enterprises which represent the core of the private economy … 'While the federal public service has grown steadily, this has not been matched by improvements in economic performance or the business environment. In theory, a larger public sector could support business owners through streamlined regulations and efficient services. In practice, however, Canadian businesses face a costly and complex regulatory landscape – amounting to $51 billion annually.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Read More During the election, Carney promised to freeze rather than reduce the size of the public service, while increasing government productivity. But governments of all stripes have promised increased productivity for years, without accomplishing it, meaning that new programs almost inevitably result in hiring more staff, instead of fewer workers doing the job more efficiently. Critics say Carney's recent instructions to most federal departments to cut program spending by 15% by the 2028-29 fiscal year will result in job losses and reduce the quality of government services. But the reality, according to the numbers, is that downsizing the federal public service has become an economic necessity. lgoldstein@ Columnists Toronto & GTA Sunshine Girls Toronto & GTA Columnists
CTV News
9 minutes ago
- CTV News
West Island teen raising money for Ukraine, one haircut at a time
Montreal Watch Aleksander Yakimiw-Martin, 26, is raising money for his home country of Ukraine, one haircut at a time.
CTV News
39 minutes ago
- CTV News
Province considering annual pass to use boats in Alberta waterways
The province of Alberta is considering charging people to use boats on the province's more than 600 lakes The province could soon be charging people to use boats in Alberta's waterways. Th government is considering an annual pass for boats, jet skis, canoes, kayaks and other watercraft. It says all the money would go towards increasing defences against invasive mussels. The species is growing in North America, but has not established in any of Alberta's over 600 lakes. The province has launched a survey to find out how much an annual watercraft pass should cost, and how it could be applied. Albertans have until Aug. 25 to weigh in.
