The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) is urging the Carney government to recognize that building a “Canada Strong for All” cannot be done without a strong public service.
The government has framed their Spring Economic Update as a good news story, but that “good news” is being built on the backs of the public service workers that people in Canada rely on every day.
This announcement comes at a time when federal public service workers are already facing deep cuts, growing workloads, and an uncertain future, with 30,000 jobs planned to be eliminated. These cuts weaken the services people depend on: meaning longer waits for parental leave, pension payments, and critical veterans’ care.
People in Canada need to know that the food on their table is safe. That veterans’ care is available when they need it. That the benefits they count on will be there so they can make ends meet. Cutting good jobs and defunding public services won’t build a “Canada Strong for All.” Public services are the foundation of a strong Canada – and they need to be well-funded and well-staffed to function.
This government must put the needs of workers and families in Canada before those of the wealthy CEOs and private corporations.
We are concerned about the language in this update on exploring “alternative models of ownership” for Canada’s airports. Private investors are not interested in running airports for the public good or for the benefit of travellers – they are interested in profit. At a time when Canada needs to be the strongest it can be, handing critical public infrastructure to private corporations is not in the public’s best interest.
PSAC calls on the government to invest in the public services that keep our country and our communities safe and strong, and to stop the cuts.
This article was first published on the PSAC website.
