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CTV News
11-08-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
More than half of Canadians want cuts to the federal public service: poll
The Canadian flag flies over the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld OTTAWA — More than half of Canadians think the size and cost of the federal public service should be reduced in the coming years, a new Leger poll suggests. The poll indicates that 54 per cent of respondents want the federal bureaucracy cut, 24 per cent want it maintained and four per cent say it should get bigger. The poll suggests 17 per cent of respondents were not sure what should happen. The poll, which was conducted online and can't be assigned a margin of error, cites federal records that indicate the government has added almost 99,000 employees since 2016 and personnel costs have increased by more than 70 per cent. Conducted by Leger for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, the poll suggests that half of Canadians say the quality of federal services has declined since 2016. Almost a quarter of Canadians polled say they believe the quality of services has remained stagnant, while 11 per cent say those services have improved and 16 per cent are unsure. While Prime Minister Mark Carney promised during the election campaign to cap — not cut — the size of the public service, most departments and agencies have since been asked to find program spending cuts of up to 15 per cent by 2028-29. A recent report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives said the public service could shed almost 60,000 jobs over the next four years as Ottawa looks to cut costs. Andrew Enns, Leger's executive vice-president for Central Canada, told The Canadian Press that the poll is timely given the planned fall budget and 'noise' from the federal government about looking at the size of the public service. He said the poll suggests there is a widespread belief among Canadians that the civil service is 'on the large side' and needs to shrink. Enns also said Canadians don't feel they're getting great value in exchange for the increase in the size of the public service and there's a strong sense that 'something has to happen.' The poll suggests that Quebecers and Albertans are most strongly in favour of reducing the size and cost of the public service, at 62 and 61 per cent. Half of Ontarians and 53 per cent of people in B.C. also said they'd like to see a reduction. Just over a third of respondents between the ages of 18 and 34 said they'd like to see a reduction in the size and cost of the public service, compared to almost half of people aged 35 to 54 and 71 per cent of those aged 55 and older. Enns said those older voters, who played a large role in Carney's election win, are 'pretty strongly convinced' the public service is too large and isn't performing as it should. 'In that sense, the argument is probably even stronger for the government to take some action here,' Enns said. Franco Terrazzano, federal director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said the size of the federal bureaucracy has 'ballooned' since 2016 and the cost to taxpayers has gone 'extremely high.' He said the polling shows that a bigger public service doesn't equate to better services for taxpayers. 'The government has to cut spending and the government has to shrink the cost and size of its bloated bureaucracy,' Terrazzano said, adding that his organization will continue to push for spending cuts. Arguing that 'the government is broke,' Terrazzano pointed out that Carney promised to balance the operating budget in the recent election and that interest charges on the federal debt are costing taxpayers. 'Prime Minister Mark Carney, he should look at these polling numbers, he should listen to Canadians and he should know that Canadians support cutting the size and cost of Ottawa's bureaucracy,' he said. The polling industry's professional body, the Canadian Research Insights Council, says online surveys cannot be assigned a margin of error because they do not randomly sample the population. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 11, 2025. Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press
National Post
10-07-2025
- Politics
- National Post
The Conservative party raised a record amount in 2024 — and spent even more
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre arrives on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Friday, May 30, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick The Conservative party's spending outstripped its record fundraising total in 2024 as it ramped up advertising and internal polling ahead of the federal election. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS Enjoy the latest local, national and international news. Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events. Unlimited online access to National Post. National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE ARTICLES Enjoy the latest local, national and international news. Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events. Unlimited online access to National Post. National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. 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 According to records filed with Elections Canada, the Tories brought in $42 million in donations and another $5 million in membership fees last year, with total revenues of just over $48.5 million. The party spent just shy of $50 million over the same period — an increase of nearly $13 million over 2023. Your guide to the world of Canadian politics. (Subscriber exclusive on Saturdays) By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again A large amount of that money went to advertising, with $7.8 million spent on TV, $1.5 million on radio and another $7.1 million on digital ads. More than $2.5 million went to research and polling. The $16.5 million the Conservatives spent on advertising was nearly double the sum the party spent on ads in 2023. In September, the Conservatives launched an ad spot featuring most of the messages they'd take into the election campaign in the spring, including the 'let's bring it home' tag line. In the ad's voiceover, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre pledged to 'cap spending, axe taxes, reward work, build homes, uphold family, stop crime, secure borders, rearm our forces, restore our freedom.' Poilievre told right-wing influencer Jordan Peterson in a December podcast interview that he had done 600 public events over the previous year, including tours of businesses and factories and the rallies that became a signature aspect of his leadership. The Conservatives logged $1.5 million in spending on travel and hospitality and spent just over $8 million on fundraising in 2024. Sarah Fischer, the party's director of communications, said in an email that the party ended the year with just shy of $16 million in cash in the bank and net assets of just over $9 million. 'As is typical in the pre-writ period, in 2024 the party spent slightly more than it raised,' said Fischer. The Conservatives were the only party to file annual financial statements with Elections Canada by the deadline; all the other parties were granted an extension. Conservative strategist Fred DeLorey said he's 'never seen anything like' the Conservative party's fundraising totals and he's not concerned by the level of spending in 2024. 'That's what political parties are supposed to do, especially when you are the best fundraising machine in the country,' said DeLorey, chair of North Star Public Affairs and the Conservatives' 2021 campaign manager.
