According to new data from the secretariat of the Treasury Board, which oversees federal government spending and operations, the federal public service headcount shrank by more than 12,000 (or about 3.5%) in the past year. This reduction is consistent with the government’s aim, established by Prime Minister Mark Carney, to reduce the public service headcount by around 30,000 by 2028/29.

After a decade of rapid bloating, the 3.5% reduction is welcome news, but Canadians looking for a fiscally responsible government should hold their applause. The federal public service remains far too large, and despite the recent headcount reduction, the government’s footprint is growing in many other ways.

LAU: Federal government’s footprint growing despite declining headcount Back to video

Indeed, since 2015, the federal public service headcount is still up 34.3%, dwarfing........

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