Ottawa, November 4, 2025 – The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) warns that today’s federal budget cuts, which aim to cut upwards of 40,000 public sector jobs, go far beyond “efficiency” and will hit critical services Canadians count on every day.
Canadians want their government to spend wisely, and public service professionals agree. But when you eliminate the people who inspect food, deliver benefits, protect data, and track wildfires, you’re not cutting waste – you’re increasing risk.
“Canadians expect efficiency, not erosion,” said Sean O’Reilly, President of PIPSC. “Behind every cut is a service delay, a slower emergency response, or a system that’s one failure away from crisis. These cuts don’t make us leaner – they make us more fragile.”
Public service professionals are the experts who protect our data, manage emergencies, track disease outbreaks, and maintain the systems Canadians rarely see but rely on every day. Reducing their capacity doesn’t just shrink government – it erodes Canada’s resilience.
“We share the goal of a more effective, innovative public service. But you can’t do more with less. True efficiency means smarter investment, not defunding services,” continued O’Reilly.
At the same time, the government continues to pour record amounts into outsourcing work to private consultants: $26 billion projected for this year alone, the highest on record according to its own main estimates. While the budget makes a vague commitment to a modest reduction in outsourcing, PIPSC notes that similar promises have come and gone without real results. It’s an approach that still doesn’t add up.
“It’s not efficient to replace experienced public servants with expensive consultants who cost 25% more than a public service professional,” said O’Reilly. “If the goal is savings, start with the billions going to private firms – not the food safety inspector or public health scientist.”
Public service professionals understand where the real inefficiencies lie – poor planning, outdated systems, a lack of trust and consultation with public service experts, and an overreliance on wasteful outsourcing.
“Empower public servants to modernize from within,” O’Reilly concluded. “Let the professionals lead. That’s how you get real efficiency — without slashing services Canadians rely on.”
PIPSC represents over 85,000 public-sector professionals across the country, most of them employed by the federal government. Follow us on Facebook and on Instagram.
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For more information: Johanne Fillion, 613-883-4900 (mobile)