The following op-ed by PSAC National President Sharon DeSousa was published in Politico on September 15, 2025. 

Since President Donald Trump returned to the White House, his erratic policies have sent shockwaves through global markets. For Canada, the lesson is clear: to weather the storm south of the border, we need an economy that’s built on stability and resilience.  

That’s at the heart of Prime Minister Carney’s vision for a strong, independent Canada, but it all starts with strengthening, not cutting, our public services and the workers who deliver them. 

We can’t simply look at Canada’s public services as a cost to government that has to be trimmed; they are the engine that drives our economy. Public service workers power the vital programs that boost our growth by providing stability when crises strike, helping businesses innovate and negotiating key trade agreements. 

Yet Prime Minister Carney’s government seems to have lost the plot.  

Their plan to slash federal departments by 15 per cent across the board threatens to undermine the very foundation of Canada’s economic independence and the safety net that keeps us all afloat.  

The sheer depth and scope of the cuts are unprecedented. No government in Canada has planned sweeping cuts this extreme since Paul Martin’s “hell or high water” cuts in 1995.  

The independent think tank Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives estimates that Canada could cut nearly 60,000 federal public service jobs by 2028, decimating many departments and their ability to continue providing services people depend on every day.  

Public services: the first line of defense in a crisis 

Public service workers support every aspect of the lives of people in Canada, especially during tough times. 

When the pandemic hit in 2020, shuttering businesses and leaving tens of thousands out of work, workers at Canada Revue Agency pivoted virtually overnight to deliver emergency relief cheques to more than 8.9 million people through the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) program.  

Today, as Trump threatens worsening U.S. tariffs that jeopardize hundreds of thousands of Canadian jobs in manufacturing, energy, and agriculture sectors, Canadians will again depend on Employment Insurance and other support programs to make ends meet. But with fewer staff and shrinking budgets, access to these lifelines could stall just when families need them most. 

By weakening the public service, Carney’s government is endangering Canada’s social safety net. resources to assist people in Canada through hard times. We need strong public services that will help families and communities stay afloat and support local economies. 

Public service workers power our economy 

Canada’s economy doesn’t just survive because of public services – it thrives because of them. 

Canada’s public service supports small businesses, executes global trade deals and keeps our supply chains moving. Canada's industries grow because of the everyday work of public service workers. 

Workers at the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) process more than 35,000 patent applications a year, encouraging Canadian innovation at a time when Canada needs to be on the cutting edge.  

It's public service workers that facilitate approvals for new, life-changing prescription drugs, with Canada’s pharmaceutical industry contributing over $18.5 billion to the Canadian economy each year. 

The work of experienced public service workers in other industries like agriculture, science, research, and technology boost the country’s GDP and solidify Canada as a leader on the world stage.  

Building Canada’s economy starts with supporting its workers, and giving them the tools they need to for industry and innovation to flourish. 

Cuts erode public confidence—and Canada’s resilience 

Austerity comes with real costs. According to Abacus Data polling, Canadians are shifting from a “scarcity mindset” (worrying about daily needs like groceries and housing) to a “precarity mindset,” where people fear the very erosion of public services that make us feel safe. 

Trump’s tariff threats have only deepened these anxieties. And Carney’s plan to cut billions from federal programs risks compounding the problem, leaving Canadians less confident they can withstand more economic uncertainty. 

History offers a dire warning: the last major rounds of public service cuts in the 1990s and again under Stephen Harper in 2012 – left veterans without the care they need, border security under-resourced, and slashed the number of food inspectors who make sure the dinner on our tables is safe to eat. Repeating these mistakes today would jeopardize Canada’s resilience at the negotiating table with the United States, the stability of our economy, and the families and communities who depend on public services. 

Canada has a choice: double down on austerity and our dependence on an unpredictable U.S. economy, or invest in the public services that make Canada strong.  

It’s time for Carney’s government to be brave enough to do things differently.