Latest news with #SharonDeSousa
CBC
8 hours ago
- Politics
- CBC
Did federal workers cost Poilievre his job? Top union boss says it's more about Trump
A major union leader says Pierre Poilievre's claim that he lost his seat because of his pledge to cut the public service is "simplistic" and should also be attributed to voters linking the Conservative leader to U.S. President Donald Trump. "I think what people saw was too many similarities. People see the platform that was presented. They see past decision-making and they link it to what's happening down south in an extreme manner," said Sharon DeSousa, national president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), the largest federal public sector union. She said Trump's "mass firings" of government workers caused Canadians to worry the same could happen here. "They're worried about their livelihood. They're dependent on public services," she said. After Trump was elected president a second time, he launched the Department of Government Efficiency with the help of billionaire Elon Musk, which gutted several U.S. government agencies and fired thousands of workers. DeSousa said those events "changed the game" of the 2025 federal election. Poilievre said on Friday that he lost the riding of Carleton — which he represented for more than two decades — because of an "aggressive" union campaign after he was honest about wanting to cut federal jobs. "It's an Ottawa riding with a lot of federal public servants who disagreed with that approach," Poilievre said in an interview with CBC's The House. "They ran a very aggressive campaign, particularly the public sector unions did, to defeat me on that basis." DeSousa said PSAC ran a campaign during the 2025 federal election called For You, Canada that focused on protecting public services and reached about four million people. The "very basic" campaign targeted MPs in a variety of ridings, she said. "At the end of the day, the public sector unions don't have a vote. Individuals do," DeSousa said. "I feel like the stance that is being provided is very simplistic." WATCH | Why Poilievre thinks he lost his riding: Poilievre says committing to cut federal public service cost him his Ottawa seat 5 days ago In an exclusive interview with CBC's The House, host Catherine Cullen asks Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre how he makes sense of losing the Ottawa-area seat he held for two decades. Poilievre says public sector unions 'ran a very aggressive campaign' to defeat him. The union president also said Poilievre's track record in the House of Commons made him even less appealing to his constituents. DeSousa cited Poilievre's vote against developing a national framework to establish a school food program. "I think it's also a disconnect with him and the members of that particular riding. Keep in mind, this is someone who's held that riding for 20 years and was re-elected seven times," she said. In a statement to CBC News, the president of the Canadian Association of Professional Employees, Nathan Prier, said "Poilievre actively campaigned against the interests of both his constituents and all Canadians, and as a result, his ideas were rejected." Prier also said Poilievre blaming public sector unions should be a warning to "anyone else who fell for his masquerading as a friend of unions, while he clearly attacks federal public sector unions over his electoral defeat." Poilievre claims Liberals hid plans to cut public service During his interview on The House, Poilievre argued he was honest with Canadians about his plans to cut the public service while the Liberals and Mark Carney hid their intentions to do the same. "Some people might say, 'Well, it wasn't the best idea to run on a smaller federal public service when you're an Ottawa MP,' but I had an entire country to represent," Poilievre said. "I had to be honest with people." Last week, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne sent letters to cabinet ministers asking them to figure out "ambitious savings proposals" to handle public sector spending. The wording of the letter was confirmed by Champagne's director of communications. WATCH | Poilievre's exclusive interview with Catherine Cullen: FULL INTERVIEW | Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre speaks with CBC Radio's The House 5 days ago In an exclusive interview, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre speaks with CBC Radio's The House host Catherine Cullen about the ongoing trade negotiations between Canada and the U.S., his bid to regain a seat in the House of Commons and what he thinks led to him losing his Ottawa riding. DeSousa said she doesn't think the Liberals were hiding their plans because the Trudeau government had already begun the work to cut federal spending, including funding to departments and agencies. Carney's election platform promised to cap spending growth at two per cent per year through 2028-29. He also said during the election campaign that he would cap but not cut the public service. DeSousa said she's hoping Carney will keep that commitment. "The prime minister still has an opportunity to make good on his promise, and I think it's a little bit early to say that it was a blatant lie," DeSousa said. "We're in a transition period … the prime minister is well aware of the position of the federal public service, the unions and the workers."
Vancouver Sun
6 days ago
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
Public sector union warns Carney against reducing government staff to cut spending
OTTAWA — Canada's largest public sector union is warning that any cuts to federal employees, as the Liberal government looks to shrink spending, will mean slower, lower-quality services for people seeking passports, employment insurance and veterans benefits. Sharon DeSousa, national president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), said Prime Minister Mark Carney should stick with his campaign promise to 'cap' the federal public service — not cut it. However, Carney's senior-most minister this week directed cabinet to find a total of 15 per cent in spending cuts in their departments by 2028-29 . The direction from Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne spelled out cuts of 7.5 per cent by 2026–27, an additional 2.5 per cent cut by 2027–28, and another five per cent on top of that by 2028–29. The target will amount to $25 billion, a government official confirmed to National Post. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Any cuts to staff, said DeSousa, will have consequences. 'What it actually means is that you're looking to cut jobs, which means cutting services — end of story,' DeSousa said. 'It will mean longer wait times. It means that we're not going to be able to deliver on the programs that are a priority to us, and I think everyone is going to be impacted.' 'What we're talking about is employment insurance. We're talking about veterans who are looking for services. We're talking about an aging population who is looking to get guidance as to how to receive their benefits. It's going to impact people looking for passports.' 'There's not one area that's not going to be affected,' she added. Mohammad Kamal, director of communications to the President of the Treasury Board, did said the government's spending review is requesting that all departments 'bring forward savings proposals by targeting programs and activities that are underperforming, not core to the federal mandate, duplicative, or misaligned with government priorities.' There are exceptions, however: the Department of National Defence, the Canada Border Services Agency and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police will be subject to a 'lower savings target' of two per cent over those three years, said Kamal. The process does not apply to agents of Parliament — such as the auditor general and the parliamentary budget officer, the courts administration service and the office of the registrar of the Supreme Court of Canada — to 'preserve their independence,' he said. Anxiety among federal public servants is reportedly already high. DeSousa said 10,000 jobs were cut just last year, and an estimated 2,000 to 7,000 more jobs could be on the chopping block for this year as well. That includes contracts at the Canada Revenue Agency, as well as the departments of employment and immigration that are not being renewed, she said. 'Right now, if you try to call Canada Revenue Agency, less than five per cent of the calls are being picked up. They don't have enough people to do this,' she claimed. While the government has vowed to not touch transfers to individuals and provinces, or social programs such as child care and dental care, Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak warned Indigenous services should be exempt from the cuts as well. 'I think health care for Canadians and Indian Affairs should never be cut back,' said Woodhouse Nepinak in an interview. 'And I think because the gaps are so huge, you don't want to further and widen the gap on First Nations people by cutting services and programs very much needed to make this country be a better place.' DeSousa said the government can look at different ways of finding efficiencies in delivering services to Canadians while still redirecting money to the government's core priorities. 'There's a different way that we can do this. It doesn't have to be done like previous administrations, where it starts off with just this lazy approach of austerity and cutting jobs… I don't think it needs to be at the expense of people who rely on those services.' DeSousa suggested reducing the amount departments and agencies spend on outside consultants, which would save millions of dollars each year, but also reverse the return-to-office mandate to free up buildings so they can be repurposed for other initiatives, such as low-income housing, or sold to generate potentially billions of dollars in savings. 'What we're trying to do is to provide practical solutions that the government can, in fact, look at so that it doesn't make the sacrifices on the programs and services, and to get them to understand the actual impact their decision-making is going to have, and how it's going to affect people residing in Canada who depend on them,' she said. 'For us, it's about fighting for their services.' National Post calevesque@ Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our newsletters here .
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Public sector union warns Carney against reducing government staff to cut spending
OTTAWA — Canada's largest public sector union is warning that any cuts to federal employees, as the Liberal government looks to shrink spending, will mean slower, lower-quality services for people seeking passports, employment insurance and veterans benefits. Sharon DeSousa, national president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), said Prime Minister Mark Carney should stick with his campaign promise to 'cap' the federal public service — not cut it. However, Carney's senior-most minister this week directed cabinet to find a total of 15 per cent in spending cuts in their departments by 2028-29. The direction from Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne spelled out cuts of 7.5 per cent by 2026–27, an additional 2.5 per cent cut by 2027–28, and another five per cent on top of that by 2028–29. The target will amount to $25 billion, a government official confirmed to National Post. Any cuts to staff, said DeSousa, will have consequences. 'What it actually means is that you're looking to cut jobs, which means cutting services — end of story,' DeSousa said. 'It will mean longer wait times. It means that we're not going to be able to deliver on the programs that are a priority to us, and I think everyone is going to be impacted.' 'What we're talking about is employment insurance. We're talking about veterans who are looking for services. We're talking about an aging population who is looking to get guidance as to how to receive their benefits. It's going to impact people looking for passports.' 'There's not one area that's not going to be affected,' she added. Mohammad Kamal, director of communications to the President of the Treasury Board, did said the government's spending review is requesting that all departments 'bring forward savings proposals by targeting programs and activities that are underperforming, not core to the federal mandate, duplicative, or misaligned with government priorities.' There are exceptions, however: the Department of National Defence, the Canada Border Services Agency and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police will be subject to a 'lower savings target' of two per cent over those three years, said Kamal. The process does not apply to agents of Parliament — such as the auditor general and the parliamentary budget officer, the courts administration service and the office of the registrar of the Supreme Court of Canada — to 'preserve their independence,' he said. Anxiety among federal public servants is reportedly already high. DeSousa said 10,000 jobs were cut just last year, and an estimated 2,000 to 7,000 more jobs could be on the chopping block for this year as well. That includes contracts at the Canada Revenue Agency, as well as the departments of employment and immigration that are not being renewed, she said. 'Right now, if you try to call Canada Revenue Agency, less than five per cent of the calls are being picked up. They don't have enough people to do this,' she claimed. While the government has vowed to not touch transfers to individuals and provinces, or social programs such as child care and dental care, Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak warned Indigenous services should be exempt from the cuts as well. 'I think health care for Canadians and Indian Affairs should never be cut back,' said Woodhouse Nepinak in an interview. 'And I think because the gaps are so huge, you don't want to further and widen the gap on First Nations people by cutting services and programs very much needed to make this country be a better place.' DeSousa said the government can look at different ways of finding efficiencies in delivering services to Canadians while still redirecting money to the government's core priorities. 'There's a different way that we can do this. It doesn't have to be done like previous administrations, where it starts off with just this lazy approach of austerity and cutting jobs… I don't think it needs to be at the expense of people who rely on those services.' DeSousa suggested reducing the amount departments and agencies spend on outside consultants, which would save millions of dollars each year, but also reverse the return-to-office mandate to free up buildings so they can be repurposed for other initiatives, such as low-income housing, or sold to generate potentially billions of dollars in savings. 'What we're trying to do is to provide practical solutions that the government can, in fact, look at so that it doesn't make the sacrifices on the programs and services, and to get them to understand the actual impact their decision-making is going to have, and how it's going to affect people residing in Canada who depend on them,' she said. 'For us, it's about fighting for their services.' National Post calevesque@ Finance minister directs cabinet colleagues to find billions in spending cuts Carney says deadline for new deal with U.S. delayed as Trump threatens 35% tariffs on Canada Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our newsletters here.
National Post
6 days ago
- Business
- National Post
Public sector union warns Carney against reducing government staff to cut spending
Article content OTTAWA — Canada's largest public sector union is warning that any cuts to federal employees, as the Liberal government looks to shrink spending, will mean slower, lower-quality services for people seeking passports, employment insurance and veterans benefits. Article content Sharon DeSousa, national president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), said Prime Minister Mark Carney should stick with his campaign promise to 'cap' the federal public service — not cut it. Article content Article content Article content However, Carney's senior-most minister this week directed cabinet to find a total of 15 per cent in spending cuts in their departments by 2028-29. The direction from Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne spelled out cuts of 7.5 per cent by 2026–27, an additional 2.5 per cent cut by 2027–28, and another five per cent on top of that by 2028–29. The target will amount to $25 billion, a government official confirmed to National Post. Article content Article content 'What it actually means is that you're looking to cut jobs, which means cutting services — end of story,' DeSousa said. 'It will mean longer wait times. It means that we're not going to be able to deliver on the programs that are a priority to us, and I think everyone is going to be impacted.' Article content 'What we're talking about is employment insurance. We're talking about veterans who are looking for services. We're talking about an aging population who is looking to get guidance as to how to receive their benefits. It's going to impact people looking for passports.' Article content Article content 'There's not one area that's not going to be affected,' she added. Article content Article content Mohammad Kamal, director of communications to the President of the Treasury Board, did said the government's spending review is requesting that all departments 'bring forward savings proposals by targeting programs and activities that are underperforming, not core to the federal mandate, duplicative, or misaligned with government priorities.' Article content There are exceptions, however: the Department of National Defence, the Canada Border Services Agency and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police will be subject to a 'lower savings target' of two per cent over those three years, said Kamal. The process does not apply to agents of Parliament — such as the auditor general and the parliamentary budget officer, the courts administration service and the office of the registrar of the Supreme Court of Canada — to 'preserve their independence,' he said. Article content Anxiety among federal public servants is reportedly already high. DeSousa said 10,000 jobs were cut just last year, and an estimated 2,000 to 7,000 more jobs could be on the chopping block for this year as well. That includes contracts at the Canada Revenue Agency, as well as the departments of employment and immigration that are not being renewed, she said. Article content 'Right now, if you try to call Canada Revenue Agency, less than five per cent of the calls are being picked up. They don't have enough people to do this,' she claimed. Article content While the government has vowed to not touch transfers to individuals and provinces, or social programs such as child care and dental care, Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak warned Indigenous services should be exempt from the cuts as well. Article content 'I think health care for Canadians and Indian Affairs should never be cut back,' said Woodhouse Nepinak in an interview. 'And I think because the gaps are so huge, you don't want to further and widen the gap on First Nations people by cutting services and programs very much needed to make this country be a better place.' Article content DeSousa said the government can look at different ways of finding efficiencies in delivering services to Canadians while still redirecting money to the government's core priorities. Article content 'There's a different way that we can do this. It doesn't have to be done like previous administrations, where it starts off with just this lazy approach of austerity and cutting jobs… I don't think it needs to be at the expense of people who rely on those services.' Article content Article content DeSousa suggested reducing the amount departments and agencies spend on outside consultants, which would save millions of dollars each year, but also reverse the return-to-office mandate to free up buildings so they can be repurposed for other initiatives, such as low-income housing, or sold to generate potentially billions of dollars in savings. Article content 'What we're trying to do is to provide practical solutions that the government can, in fact, look at so that it doesn't make the sacrifices on the programs and services, and to get them to understand the actual impact their decision-making is going to have, and how it's going to affect people residing in Canada who depend on them,' she said. Article content
CTV News
08-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Unions warn public service will be ‘bearing the brunt' of federal government's savings plan
A sign for the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) in Ottawa on March 25, 2025. (Peter Szperling/CTV News Ottawa) Unions representing federal workers say Canadians will bear the cost of expected cuts to the public service as Prime Minister Mark Carney's government prepares to tighten the belt and find savings in day-to-day operating costs. CTV News learned Monday that federal ministers have been asked to find 7.5 per cent savings for the 2026-27 fiscal year that begins on April 1, 2026 followed by 10 per cent in 2027-28 and 15 per cent in 2028-29 in an effort to find 'long-term savings,' a promise Carney made during the election campaign. 'I'm very concerned by this announcement. The prime minister promised caps and not cuts and it definitely feels like the public service workers are going to be bearing the brunt of this,' Sharon DeSousa, president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), told CTV News Ottawa on Tuesday. 'We need to be working together. The government needs to work with its workers and unions and not around them. I think there's a better approach then the same old lazy austerity measures.' PSAC and other unions received a briefing from the federal government on Tuesday outlining the expenditure review called by the federal government. DeSousa says she wished the government had consulted with workers and unions before announcing the measures, saying workers know where gaps and efficiencies can be found to cut costs. 'There's no obligation to consult, so once again, we have department heads making decisions and that's what worries me the most is that you're not consulting people with expertise that are actually doing the jobs,' she said. Carney has pledged a slate of spending measures aimed to boost affordability and defence. It includes a middle-class tax cut and a $9.3 billion to meet NATO's defence spending target of two per cent of GDP by this fiscal year. During the federal election, Carney had promised to find savings from 'increased government efficiency' with $6 billion in savings in 2026-27 and $13 billion a year in 2028-29. A report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives says $13 billion in savings will 'mostly be in personnel expenditures in non-defence departments,' amounting to a 24 per cent cut in government spending. It suggested Carney's election promises could bring about the 'worst cuts in modern history' to the federal public service. The move comes as the federal government prepares a 2025 budget set to be tabled this fall. Canadian Association of Professional Employees (CAPE) president Nathan Prier said arbitrary austerity measures' would undermine the workers who will carry out the government's wishes to build major nation-building projects. 'When governments make big promises to Canadians, public sector employees are the ones who deliver on them. And when ideological governments directly undermine their productivity, Canadians ultimately suffer the consequences,' Prier said in a statement. 'Mark Carney's current proposals are another rehash of the last Liberal government – arbitrary austerity measures completely disconnected from the question of who is going to deliver on his promises to Canadians.' Prier said the union is advocating for cost-cutting measures that don't 'attack' the federal workforce and seeks changes to 'bloated' management ranks, dependence on private contractors and reiterated a desire to reduce the public service's real estate footprint by allowing workers to work from home. A report from the C.D. Howe Institute released last week said it projects Canada's deficit could top $92 billion this fiscal year alone, in part due to the government's defence spending commitments. William Robson, who serves as the CEO of the C.D. Howe Institute, believes it's possible the government can make savings in its operating spending without degrading the quality of public services. 'When you look at a lot of things that the federal government does and you look at the increased in spending that occurred over the last decade and the increased in headcount over the last decade, its not obvious there's any direct connection between the costs of operating the federal government and the quality of the services that we're getting,' he said. Robson is calling on the government to make steeper cuts to program spending and reduce federal transfers to provinces. 'If you're going to have these very expensive traditional defence commitments, you need to either look at a source of revenue that isn't personal or corporate income taxes or you have to look at spending cuts,' Robson said. 'Something has to give.' Statistics released by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat in the spring show 357,965 people worked for the federal government as of March 31, down from 367,772 people in 2024. With files from CTV News Ottawa's Austin Lee and CTV's Stephanie Ha
