With the tabling of the latest — and long-awaited — federal budget on November 4, 2025, the Canadian government proposes a number of measures directly related to border operations, all of which are likely to impact the work of our members.
While some of these initiatives are undoubtedly positive (such as improving the Canada Border Services Agency’s capacity to detect and intercept illicit goods, along with increasing the CBSA recruit stipend), others raise concerns, notably around language regarding preclearance as well as achieving ‘operating efficiencies’.
How these measures affect our members will depend on their implementation. The devil, as they say, is in the details, and we are hard at work to assess how this budget will impact Canada’s borders and the work our members do.
One thing is certain: The inclusion in the budget of ‘25 and out’ for public safety workers is, in and of itself, a monumental step forward for our union and our members. Together, we have fought tirelessly for years to see CBSA personnel have access to pension benefits in line with those provided by other law enforcement agencies, and this budget brings us closer than we’ve ever been to that goal.
With that in mind, here, too, questions remain, especially around eligibility. We are eager to work with the federal government to see the new ’25 and out’ pension provisions implemented as inclusively and expediently as possible following the adoption of the budget — we are committed to sharing any additional information as it becomes available.
