'DOGE' and 'DOGE-lite': Public service unions react to costed federal party platforms

Public service unions are paying close attention to the fully costed platforms recently released by Canada's major political parties, with a focus on what parties are promising to spend on the federal workforce.

"Public services are clearly a big topic of discussion in this election," said Alex Silas, national executive vice-president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada. "We need to make sure that we're reinforcing them and not cutting them."

Last year, the Public Service Commission of Canada reported that the size of the federal public service had reached a record high.

Both Liberal Leader Mark Carney and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre have signalled throughout their campaigns that they'd reduce government spending, partly by reining in the public service.

The Liberal platform states a Carney government "will ensure that the size of the federal public service meets the needs of Canadians" by capping employment — though it doesn't say by how much.

At a campaign stop in Whitby, Ont., Carney elaborated.

• Mark Carney lays out his plan for 'the biggest crisis of our lifetimes'

"We'll balance our operating budget over the next three years by cutting waste, by eliminating duplication and by deploying technology," he said.

The former Bank of Canada governor would launch a comprehensive review of government spending aimed at increasing productivity and determining where AI tools can be used to improve services at an efficient cost.

The Liberals aim to save $28 billion over three years with cuts to wasteful spending and changes to the government's internal operations.

The Conservative Party's platform promises to "cut the fat, not the frontline services" delivered by the public service.

"Gradually and through attrition, without mass layoffs, we will wind down the cost of the bureaucracy by hiring back only two people for every three who voluntarily retire," Poilievre explained Tuesday while at a campaign stop in Woodbridge, Ont.

The Conservative platform promises to save taxpayers $77.7 billion over four years that it says will come from cancelling programs, finding efficiencies and streamlining the public service.

Nathan Prier, president of the Canadian Association of Professional Employees, likened the approach of both parties to the Department of Government Efficiency south of the border.

The department, established by U.S. President Donald Trump and led by Elon Musk, is aimed at slashing government spending and is estimated to have eliminated thousands of federal jobs this year through buyouts and mass layoffs.

"I think the Conservatives, we could call them DOGE, and we could call the Liberals DOGE-lite," Prier said.

The NDP platform says the party rejects "calls for cuts to the public sector and to social programs — cuts which would be made to reach a budgetary balance in the short-term, despite the costs and the consequences for people.

"Instead, we are proposing increased investments in both infrastructure and in people."

Like Silas, Prier doesn't want downsizing to result in a loss of jobs or services, though he's worried the latter may be inevitable with parties promising to reduce the federal government's use of external consultants.

Silas welcomes cutting back on that spending, but Prier wonders how doing so would affect the work of a smaller public service.

"Saying at the same time that we're going to somehow magically reduce the size of the public sector as we roll out all these new programs or we extend existing programs just doesn't square," Prier said.

The Conservative platform says a Poilievre-led government would cut spending on consultants by $10.5 billion.

While it doesn't propose any numbers associated with the measure, the Liberal platform says it too would "significantly" reduce reliance on external consultants. The Green Party and Bloc Québécois promise to do the same.

Michael Wernick, former clerk of the Privy Council, questioned the move.

"They haven't really said how the work is going to get done now otherwise," he said.

"What I'd like to see from the parties is a very clear commitment that if you're going to use fewer consultants, are you going to invest in the training and the development of the public service?"