Unions have sought reassurances from Prime Minister Mark Carney that his promises to lead a lower-spending, more efficient government will not come at the expense of public service jobs or stability.

“What I would say to all parties is: don’t make us compare you to Elon Musk,” said Nathan Prier, president of the Canadian Association of Professional Employees. “When you’re sending all the signals that you’re just doing a kind of kinder, gentler version of Elon’s policies, that’s sending signals that you’re not ready to fight.”

“A national crisis is a really bad time to lose all your human talent that you’ve trained,” said Prier.

During his victory speech at the March 9 Liberal leadership convention, Carney repeated his campaign slogan that he “will ensure your government spends less so Canada can invest more.” 

“This won’t be business as usual. We will have to do things that we haven’t imagined before, at speeds we didn’t think possible. We will do it for the common good so that every Canadian benefits,” he said in the speech.

Carney promised during the leadership campaign to cap the size of the public service, and “review our spending with an emphasis on outcomes and technology to reduce inefficiencies.” He criticized government expenditure in recent years, arguing that “too much” had been spent.

“By leveraging AI and machine learning to boost productivity and cut costs across government, we will build a highly competitive, technology-enabled public service focused on delivering for Canadians and ensuring funds are allocated where they best serve Canadians,” Carney’s campaign website promised. 

The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat data showed there were 367,772 federal public servants in 2024, compared to 300,450 in 2020, and 257,034 in 2015. 

At the time of publication, Carney had not released mandate letters for his ministers. The Hill Times asked the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) whether he intended to issue those letters before calling a federal election and, if so, when those letters would be released. The Hill Times also asked whether Carney would follow the tradition of his predecessor Justin Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) in making those letters public.

The PMO did not respond to The Hill Times by press time.

In the meantime, public sector unions are advocating a strong civil service to protect Canada against the chaos unleashed by U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats against this country.

In an emailed statement, Sharon DeSousa, president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), said stability is vital during such uncertain times.

“Public service workers have always been there to support people through unprecedented crises, and they’ll do it again, no matter the challenges that lie ahead,” DeSousa said in the statement. “We’re hopeful that Prime Minister Mark Carney will recognize just how critical it is to respect the integrity of our public service.”

PSAC launched a national campaign on March 17, urging Canadians to vote for a government that pledged to protect public services. The “For You, Canada” campaign argues that investment in public services benefits everyone, while cuts “hurt everyone.”

“When public services are cut, the consequences ripple across every community,” the campaign website said. “Families face longer wait times for healthcare and essential programs. Students lose resources in schools and higher education. Veterans struggle to access the services they deserve. How long would it take new mothers to access maternity benefits? Can you trust that your food and water are safe?”

DeSousa told The Hill Times in the email that, prior to the election, PSAC will seek to develop a good working relationship with the new prime minister.

“We’re looking forward to meaningfully consulting with his office to ensure that public service workers are well-equipped in their efforts as they keep Canada running,” she said. “It’s essential that we establish nothing short of a good working relationship, which benefits the millions of people and countless businesses that rely on Canada’s government programs and services.”

Though he was widely expected to call a federal election on March 23, with a polling day of either April 28 or May 5, Carney named a new, smaller cabinet on March 14, the same day he was sworn in as prime minister.

Treasury Board President Ginette Petitpas Taylor (Moncton–Dieppe–Riverview, N.B.) retained her portfolio in the shuffle. Steven MacKinnon (Gatineau, Que.) will also continue with responsibility for Employment and Social Development Canada, but his job title has changed from “minister of employment, workforce development and labour” to “minister of jobs and families.”

Ali Ehsassi (Willowdale, Ont.) replaced Jean-Yves Duclos, (Québec, Que.) as public services and procurement minister. Ehsassi was given an additional title of minister for government transformation.

That additional title for Ehsassi had CAPE concerned about potential creation of a “Canadian DOGE,” Prier said. He was referring to the United States Department of Government Efficiency, a quasi-governmental agency tasked with finding cuts in that country’s federal apparatus since Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20.

Headed by billionaire and Trump confidante Elon Musk, the agency has slashed thousands of jobs, some of which have had to be reversed after court rulings.

Prier said Carney needed to be clear about his plans for the public service.

“If Mark Carney is not planning on doing [an equivalent to DOGE], he needs to say that explicitly,” he said. “He needs to commit to defending a strong public sector. He needs to commit to defending this country by retaining top talent to do the work of defending this country, and that can’t be SNC Lavalin, and that can’t be McKinsey.”

“Mr. Ehsassi, if you are making plans right now–as much as this might be a very short term cabinet appointment–try to distinguish yourself from Elon Musk and make very clear what’s different about your approach, and how that’s going to defend our sovereignty when we’re going to need a heavy role of government to help steer the ship.”

sjeffery@hilltimes.com

The Hill Times

President of the Treasury Board: Ginette Petitpas Taylor
Riding: Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, N.B.
Parliamentarian since: 2015
In cabinet since: 2021

Minister of Government Transformation, Public Services and Procurement: Ali Ehsassi
Riding: Willowdale, Ont.
Parliamentarian since: 2015
In cabinet since: 2025

Minister of Jobs and Families: Steven MacKinnon
Riding: Gatineau, Que.
Parliamentarian since: 2015
In cabinet since: 2024