Canada’s top air force commander is hiring a private secretary through an outside consultant contract at an undisclosed cost, raising fresh questions about Ottawa’s reliance on consultants despite repeated promises to rein in spending.Blacklock's Reporter says records show the Royal Canadian Air Force is seeking a “special advisor” to act as a private secretary to the commander, even though the military employs roughly 93,000 uniformed and civilian personnel. The RCAF has not explained why none of its existing staff could fill the role.“The Commander requires a special advisor to provide strategic level advice, administrative support and planning support,” states a notice posted by the air force, offering no justification for outsourcing the position.Lieutenant-General Jamie Speiser-Blanchet, a former helicopter pilot, was appointed commander of the RCAF last July 10, becoming the first woman to lead the service. The job posting says the commander needs advisory services “from various sources” to deliver “sound and timely advice on defence and other issues at a strategic level.”Under a proposed two-year contract, the private secretary would be expected to have military experience, security clearance and fluency in English. .Duties include organizing meetings, preparing minutes and reports, providing secretarial support and advising on outreach strategies with senators, MPs, CEOs and aerospace industry organizations. The consultant would also be tasked with delivering strategic-level assessments and recommendations at the commander’s request.The RCAF said the successful candidate must demonstrate “insightful judgments” and the ability to communicate strategic priorities and operational concerns across military and civilian circles.The move comes months after Prime Minister Mark Carney pledged to slash Ottawa’s use of consultants. On Nov. 14, Carney said his government would reduce the size of the public service by 10% and cut spending on management consultants by 20%.“A series of tough, responsible choices will save Canadian taxpayers a total of $60 billion by restructuring operations, consolidating internal services and right-sizing programs,” Carney said at the time..Federal spending on consultants totals about $25 billion annually, according to the Procurement Ombudsman. The Parliamentary Budget Officer has also flagged steady growth in consulting costs, particularly for management consultants, which account for about 5% of professional and special services spending but continue to rise year after year.Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne acknowledged last November that cabinet had little choice but to rein in consultant spending. “We need to find savings,” he said, as Ottawa grappled with a $580.9-billion budget — the largest in Canadian history.“These are tough decisions,” Champagne said. “But they are needed decisions.”
