The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is warning Prime Minister Mark Carney that relying on attrition to reduce the federal workforce is not enough and is demanding immediate cuts to the size of the bureaucracy.“After adding about 100,000 bureaucrats in a decade, attrition doesn’t go nearly far enough,” said Franco Terrazzano, the CTF’s federal director. “Carney needs to significantly shrink the bureaucracy immediately.”Carney has said that any reductions would occur “naturally through attrition,” but critics note the cost of the federal bureaucracy has surged from $40.2 billion in 2016-17 to $71.1 billion in 2024-25, a 77% increase. .The workforce grew by 99,000 in that time, with the bureaucracy now consuming about 55% of Ottawa’s operating budget.Carney pledged during the election to balance the operating budget by 2028, but the CTF argues that cannot happen without direct cuts. “Canadians pay too much for an expensive bureaucracy that underdelivers,” said Terrazzano.A Leger poll commissioned by the CTF found half of Canadians believe federal services have worsened since 2016, despite the soaring cost. It also showed 54% of Canadians want Ottawa to cut the size and cost of the bureaucracy.
