Carney’s government is cutting hundreds of environment and science jobs. Here’s what that means for Canadians
CBC
Scientists who monitor Canada’s environmental health and protect Canadians from extreme weather events and industrial disasters could soon find themselves on the federal government’s chopping block.
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal government is in the process of reducing the size of its public service. Thousands of jobs are on the line, including 840 positions at Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC).
As public servants wait to learn their fate, scientists and labour leaders are warning these cuts could significantly impact the health and safety of Canadians as well as Canada's wildlife and environment.
“It is the kind of research that I believe that Canadians need and want at this time,” retired ECCC scientist Christine Bishop told Laura Lynch, host of What On Earth. “They have to look for other ways to trim the fat in the government.”
Carney's first budget, delivered in November, announced plans to shrink the federal bureaucracy by 16,000 full-time equivalent positions — which is not necessarily the same as 16,000 individuals — over three years.
ECCC will reduce its workforce by roughly 10 per cent, or the equivalent of 840 full-time roles, department spokesperson Samantha Bayard wrote in an email.
Despite the cuts, she wrote the department remains “committed to its mandate and advancing Canada’s leadership in environmental protection, nature stewardship, science and weather services, clean technology, and building a greener, more sustainable future.
Sean O'Reilly, president of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC), isn’t convinced the department can cut hundreds of jobs and stay true to its mandate.
PIPSC represents thousands of public servants who are bracing for job cuts, including those at ECCC.
While he’s worried about his union’s members, O’Reilly says he’s also concerned about the safety and well-being of Canadians.
“These aren't just numbers on a spreadsheet. This is real science being cut,” he said. "You can't cut public science or staff without increasing public risk.”
On Jan. 27, an email went out to ECCC’s Science and Technology Branch (STB) staff from assistant deputy minister Marc D’Iorio, warning that 120 full-time roles would be cut over the next year, starting in April.
“Essential scientific programs that support policy, operations, and services to Canadians will be maintained or strengthened,” read the memo, which several ECCC employees shared with CBC.
“The focus will be on efficiency, integration, and impact, rather than eliminating critical functions. Some reductions were targeted in areas where extensive expertise exists outside the Department or the public service.”
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