Canada didn’t elect a Conservative government, but we got one anyway

Despite the fact that the Liberals were re-elected on the promise to prevent catastrophic Conservative cuts, Prime Minister Carney is now calling for major austerity that would make Poilievre proud. Carney has ordered 15% departmental cuts from all his ministers, exempting only the Minister of Defence – a concession to Trump’s demand to increase defence spending to 5% of Canada’s GDP.

These cuts will hurt working families and the most marginalized across Canada. According to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, Carney’s plans would amount to a 24% reduction of the federal public service – the largest cut in modern Canadian history, which would surpass even those made under Harper. Voters didn’t ask for this extreme move: the Liberals are flagrantly violating their campaign promise to cap, not cut the public service.

Improve public services, don’t cut them

For all his talk about ‘nation-building projects,’ it seems Carney’s only interested in projects that benefit big private corporations, like pipelines and resource extraction. But nation-building means helping our friends and neighbours in need of public services, not leaving our communities behind. The Liberals shouldn’t forget how much Canadian pride rests in our universal healthcare, which now stands to be cut under their watch.

Public sector workers provide essential services for people of all backgrounds, including in healthcare, housing, transportation, and community safety. Public support in these areas creates good, union jobs, which help raise the standard for wages and benefits offered outside the public sector. Building a stronger Canada means devoting greater support for roles like these, not cutting them.