Ottawa – The federal budget that was tabled in Parliament on Monday by the Harper Conservatives aims to reduce the deficit on the backs of hard working Canadians by slashing essential services, said the Public Service Alliance of Canada. In response, the PSAC launched a national campaign to reach out to Canadians in workplaces and communities across the country.

“Cutting public services and jobs is the wrong priority at the wrong time,” said John Gordon, National President of PSAC. “A majority in Parliament does not give Harper the license to ignore the Canadian public.”

The national campaign will begin with a Google and Facebook ad campaign that will direct people to send a message to Stephen Harper and Tony Clement in favour of public services. PSAC is also calling on everyone to Tweet their support for public services to @TonyClementCPC.

A secret Cabinet committee led by Tony Clement will make the final decisions on cuts to services. But the vast majority of Canadians did not give Harper a mandate to cut the services they depend on. Instead of listening to Canadians, the Harper Conservatives have decided to transfer $4 billion from vital public services to corporate bank accounts with no strings attached.

“Tony Clement has a responsibility to safeguard the public services Canadian families depend on,” said Gordon. “He also has a legal obligation to uphold collective agreements.”

Standing together with its partners, PSAC will work to ensure this government respects its obligations to protect quality public services and jobs for all Canadians.

In the coming months, PSAC will organize its members to engage their communities from coast to coast to coast, and meet with Parliamentarians in their constituencies to ensure public services are not eroded in favour of corporate tax cuts. In addition, the union will be contacting and bringing thousands of its members together to train them in their rights and in a campaign to defend services.