The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) is calling for voters to prioritize public services and the jobs in this sector ahead of the April 28 federal election. As part of their ongoing “For you, Canada” campaign, PSAC is bringing attention to what is at stake for the public servants and those who rely on their labour.
The federal public service is Canada’s largest single employer, with almost 288,000 employees. But cuts to the public service could threaten tens of thousands of these jobs. Currently the Liberal Party leads in the polls, with 45 per cent of the federal vote intention.
PSAC said the Liberals’ track record is mixed when it comes to protecting public services. The union highlighted that the liberal government, in March 2024, introduced an initiative aimed at “refocusing government spending.” The initiative aimed to “refocus” $14.1 billion over 5 years from organizations and $1.3 billion over 5 years from crown corporations.
More recently, current Liberal leader Mark Carney promised to cap the size of the federal public service while he was running for party leadership.
The Conservative Party of Canada, which is second in the polls, has signaled a deep commitment to cutting federal jobs and reducing government services according to PSAC. The party’s leader, Pierre Poilievre, pledged to shrink the federal public service by at least 17,000 jobs.
Past Conservative governments, PSAC wrote, significantly cut frontline jobs and outsourced public services, weakening internal capacity. The union noted that Poilievre was a part of these past governments.
The NDP and the Bloc Quebecois, which are tied for third in vote intention, have consistently supported public services and those who deliver them, the union wrote. The Bloc, however, supports these services through a Quebec-first lens.
PSAC has held off on endorsing any party just yet, but has been clear that they are keeping abreast of leaders’ attitudes towards the public service.
PSAC’s national president, Sharon DeSousa, wrote in an op-ed for the Ottawa Citizen that the country does not need job cuts right now. In fact, as the government aims to support workers amid the ongoing trade dispute with the U.S., public servants are necessary for the rollout of these services.
LISTEN: Issues facing working Canadians ahead of a federal election
“If we want to weather the economic storm of the U.S. tariffs, departments such as Employment and Social Development Canada cannot proceed with planned reductions to public service positions,” DeSousa wrote. “Workers across the country will be counting on these public servants to deliver financial relief when they need it most.”
On March 4, U.S. president Donald Trump imposed 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods. Labour market data from Unifor shows Canada lost 33,000 jobs in the same month. This is the highest monthly decline since January 2022.
“To make it through this crisis, and the next, we need to protect public services, and that means supporting the hundreds of thousands of workers who provide these vital supports,” DeSousa wrote.
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