Professional Institute Alarmed at New Brunswick Government's Plans to "Right-Size" the Provincial Public Service

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Jan. 27, 2016) - The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) urges the New Brunswick government to fully evaluate the impact of any "right-sizing" of its public service before proceeding with the initiative, which was presented yesterday by Health Minister Victor Boudreau as a potential element of its ongoing Strategic Program Review.

"Cutting costs should not be done at the expense of the people of New Brunswick and the programs and services they depend on," said Professional Institute President Debi Daviau. "The provincial government should take a closer look at the previous federal government's legacy of cuts before going down that road. Canadian voters thoroughly rejected that approach just a few months ago. Public service professionals make the province a safer and more prosperous place to live. It's simply not possible to reduce costs and eliminate one out of every nine jobs without seriously impacting front-line programs and services."

Yesterday's announcement follows an earlier proposal by Minister Boudreau to shift more provincial employees to a shared risk pension plan in order to save money. Yet in June 2015, PIPSC sent Premier Brian Gallant a detailed proposal outlining how the province could save $50 million while restoring defined pension benefits to its members. Another very effective way for the province to achieve its fiscal objectives would be to reduce its dependence on contracting out services, which costs New Brunswick taxpayers millions of dollars every year. Government employees can perform most work more effectively and at less cost than private sector contractors.

"History shows that reducing spending and eliminating public service positions without fully taking into consideration the impact on critical programs and services is not the way to go. The Professional Institute remains ready to work with the Government of New Brunswick to develop cost-effective solutions that will contribute to restoring the province's finances without affecting services to the public," concluded Daviau.

The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada represents some 55,000 professionals across Canada's public sector, including hundreds of highly skilled professional employees working for the Government of New Brunswick, such as Agrologists, Agronomists, Architects, Crown Counsel, Crown Prosecutors, Engineers, Land Surveyors, Legal Aid Lawyers and Veterinarians.