PBO says fed gov’t payroll ‘worrisome,’ up 26% since 2015

Parliamentary Funds Officer Yves Giroux mentioned on Thursday the sum of money the federal authorities spends on its workers’ salaries is “worrisome.”

In response to Blacklock’s Reporter, an official estimate exhibits the variety of folks working within the federal authorities has gone up by 26% since 2015.

“Sure, it’s worrisome,” Giroux testified on the Commons Authorities Operations committee. He added there was no proof Canadians benefited from service enhancements that justified additional hiring.

“What does it appear to be for cuts?” requested New Democrat MP Gord Johns (Courtenay-Alberni, BC). 

“Now we have not regarded on the impression of potential reductions within the public service,” replied Giroux. 

“The place would that be? What would it not appear to be? What could be the impression on public companies? It’s one thing we are going to take into account doing as soon as we’re in a position to get extra data.”

The Funds Workplace, in an April 4 report Full-Time Equivalents within the Federal Public Service, estimated the federal government’s payroll would attain 428,000 workers this 12 months. 

“This represents a rise of 23,000 in comparison with final 12 months’s plans,” it mentioned. The federal payroll totalled 340,461 workers in 2015.

Bloc Quebecois MP Julie Vignola (Beauport-Limoilou, QC) acknowledged on Thursday taxpayers haven’t witnessed enhancements in companies that match the numerous improve in hiring by the federal government.

“Regardless of hiring many new public servants, there have been points,” mentioned Vignola, citing by instance, prolonged delays in passport companies.

“Is it worrisome?” requested Vignola. 

“This is a matter I’m significantly considering,” replied Giroux. 

“I’ve observed a marked improve within the variety of public servants since 2016 and a proportional improve in spending that corresponds with the rise within the payroll.”

“However we haven’t seen comparable enhancements in relation to service,” mentioned Giroux. 

“In 2022, we noticed points with passports, with Border Providers and with wait occasions in different sectors, so sure, it’s worrisome.”

Giroux went even additional throughout his testimony on February 7 earlier than the Senate Nationwide Finance committee, stating he believed the federal authorities was “damaged” and required aggressive actions to handle the problems.

“There must be a crack of the whip, massive time,” mentioned Giroux.

“There’s a system that’s damaged. The federal government will ‘make investments’ or will spend that many tens of millions to do that and try this. Okay, however what would be the outcome?”

Giroux mentioned the cupboard was “not very nicely geared up” to handle departments. Self-serving Departmental Outcomes studies had been used to hide mediocrity, he mentioned.

“The targets in Departmental Outcomes studies are decided largely by the general public servants answerable for delivering the packages themselves: assistant deputy ministers, authorized by deputy ministers, authorized by ministers,” mentioned Giroux. 

“However in my expertise, ministers aren’t very nicely geared up to problem their very own officers.”

“We find yourself in a scenario the place it’s public servants answerable for delivering packages that set their very own targets they usually normally set the bar not too excessive so it doesn’t look too straightforward, however neither too low so it’s pretty straightforward to attain more often than not,” mentioned Giroux.  

“But by their very own evaluation, they fail to ship on many of those. So there’s a system that’s damaged.”