During his campaign, Mark Carney promised to institute a “cap” on the federal public service, framing it as a prudent measure to halt bureaucratic bloat. However, in November 2025, his government announced a plan to slash 16,000 full-time equivalent positions over three years. Billed as “attrition-based,” unions like the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) quickly argued that the strategy involved direct layoffs that would weaken essential services. Carney also implemented a mandatory four-to-five day return-to-office policy, drawing further fire from unions who pointed to government analysis suggesting remote work could save billions in real estate costs.
The Public Service Purge: Austerity Masquerading as Efficiency
Filed August 23, 2026