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Study finds federal job cuts hit P.E.I. hard

Department of Veterans Affairs Guardian file photo

Department of Veterans Affairs

Published on November 27, 2012
Published on November 27, 2012
Ryan Ross  RSS Feed
Topics :
Public Service Alliance of Canada , Canadian Centre , Veterans Affairs Canada , Atlantic , Charlottetown

P.E.I. is expected to lose 446 federal civil service jobs by 2015, according to a study the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives released Tuesday.

The study, which tried to project the number of job cuts in Atlantic Canada, expects the region to see a disproportionate impact from the cuts, especially P.E.I.

Jeannie Baldwin, regional executive vice-president for the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), said the report findings are in line with an earlier study the City of Charlottetown, the provincial government and PSAC commissioned to look at the cuts.

“The province least equipped to shoulder the burden is being asked to carry out the heaviest load,” she said.

Of the 446 jobs the study expects P.E.I. to lose, most of those will be from Veterans Affairs Canada where the report predicts 332 jobs will be gone by 2015.

The report was in response to the federal government’s plan to reduce costs through job cuts that have already been announced and more that are still to come.

In compiling the report, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) used data that was available as of March 2012, including media and union sources.

Christine Saulnier, CCPA Nova Scotia’s director, said the cuts in P.E.I. amount to 16 per cent of the province’s federal government workforce.

Cuts across the region amount to about $300 million in lost income, including $34 million for P.E.I., she said.

“That’s a significant amount of money that would be lost in terms of income and that will have an impact in terms of taxation and revenue going into our provincial governments.”

Yvon Thauvette, a Veterans Affairs Canada employee representative, said the department is cutting jobs but hiring retirees and casual workers to fill its needs while also outsourcing work.

“That’s not saving taxpayers’ dollars in any way,” he said.

The cuts have also led to the closure of VAC district offices, which will lead to reductions in the quality of service, Thauvette said.

“The Cadillac service we used to offer our veteran is now gone.”

In compiling the report, the CCPA recommended the government stop cutting more jobs until an analysis of the job cuts is done.

 

rross@theguardian.pe.ca

twitter.com/ryanrross

Comments

  • Username
    Gerard
    - November 28, 2012 at 19:25:32

    Redman, your comment borders on a PERSONAL ATTACK. You are obviously NOT TOO BRIGHT.

    Submit a comment

  • Username
    JR
    - November 28, 2012 at 10:27:08

    Lost of comments about lost revenue and slams against politicians. Time to recognize the possible negative effect these cuts will have on the delivery of programs to our Veterans.

    Submit a comment

  • Username
    JR
    - November 28, 2012 at 10:24:25

    Many comments about lost revenue and slams against politicians. Time to recognize the possible negative effect this change will have on delivery of programs to our Veterans.

    Submit a comment

  • Username
    Fedup
    - November 28, 2012 at 09:05:58

    They really need to get rid of some of these redundant Politicians. This little Island for one does not need as many as we have. That would save a lot of Money. Speaking of Politicians,since they have investigated them in Ontario,both Toronto and London,when are they going to start looking into the corruption on PEI. These people could be the Poster children for corrupt politics.

    Submit a comment

  • Username
    Hiding
    - November 27, 2012 at 21:52:44

    Where is Gail Shea....Lost all respect for her as she isn't standing up for Islanders...Shame on you Gail and how come the Guardian isn't going after an interview with her....would love to hear her excuses....

    Submit a comment

  • Username
    redman
    - November 27, 2012 at 21:04:25

    Where is big round face Senator Duffy now???

    Submit a comment

  • Username
    reid
    - November 27, 2012 at 19:07:20

    ''[The study] expects the region to see a disproportionate impact from the cuts, especially P.E.I.'' Perhaps that's because we have a disproportionate number of federal jobs compared to other provinces and cities and regions. You cannot build an economy outside the national capital based on federal public service jobs.

    Submit a comment

  • Bill Kays
    Bill Kays
    - November 27, 2012 at 19:03:43

    This is not news although I guess it is new to some of the folks who have their heads stuck where the sun don't shine. This is old news to all who can see, hear, and speak the truth. Of course it is going to hit us all hard but it is going to hurt the poorest of us the most, so what preparation is our glorious leadership in government taking to head of these coming problems. Are they going to offer solutions or just more trickle down economics for their buddies in big biz. Somebody should tell Wes Sheridan that trickle down economics does not work and everyone knows that except him. All it will accomplish is more profits for big biz and it will not translate into cheaper prices for citizens. Wes Sheridan seems to think that greedy profit motivated corporations will turn away from making record profits and instead give the poor consumers a break. AWE come on, give me a break.

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  • Username
    reality check
    - November 27, 2012 at 19:00:04

    If these positions get cut then they should not be replaced elsewhere in the country. I am sure there are plenty of inefficiencies in the federal public service so ongoing cuts through attrition or layoffs are likely necessary but it should be done fairly across the entire nation, not just PEI. We all benefit as taxpayers and as a nation through the efficient delivery of public services. But if 10 front line positions get cut in, say PEI or northern Ontario or Prince Albert or Corner Brook, then I don't want to see a few senior communications advisors hired in Ottawa with the minister's office, nor do I want to see 1 or 2 assistant or associate deputy minister positions created. If government deems it can do the same or more with fewer employees - fine. But don't go top heavy on us.

    Submit a comment

  • Username
    Mr. Obvious
    - November 27, 2012 at 17:38:30

    Whoever got paid to do a study on this should be a job cut itself. The population speaks for itself. They go and make cuts to EI services a couple times and turn around and create more paperwork with the EI changes than they have ever faced before. Hardly any case workers left to monitor people on EI with these changes so if they don't hire more back, there won't be any changes. Just random monitoring in hopes to find someone to screw over, due to lack of manpower.

    Submit a comment

  • Username
    kd
    - November 27, 2012 at 15:57:15

    Dva I thought came to the maritimes because most of the veterns were from the maritimes. It was not because of job creation they came but that the majority of people that needed them were from here especially from WW2. We really need to join as a province to stop the economic cut backs to be majorly from here, its all we seem to hear lately is cut back in pei, hardly ever from other papers ie ottawa. Even the veterns dont get treated as well either, there is caps on how much funerals are covered, and what type of duty allows for funeral expenses. there is so much unfairness here it is not funny for the veterns and for pei.

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  • Username
    jerry mackinnon
    - November 27, 2012 at 15:43:51

    Federal jobs should stay in Ottawa, especially DVA. It never made one piece of economic sense to move headquarters jobs here to a tiny province. It was done for economic development reasons at the lobbying effort of Alex Campbell and J Angus MacLean. The time has come for those jobs to return to Ottawa. PEI has 0.4% of Canada's population. If there are 150,000 civil servants in the government of Canada, then we are owed 600 federal jobs within our boundaries.

    Submit a comment

    • Username
      Right, sure not Left
      - November 27, 2012 at 16:08:21

      Gee JERRY, with that logic 74.2% of all civil service jobs should be within the GTA. Sure you don't work for Rob Ford?

    • Username
      jerry mackinnon
      - November 27, 2012 at 19:14:38

      GTA? No, because it isn't the national capital. Some federal jobs are inevitably required there but Ontario at 38.4% of the national population should have that same percentage of federal jobs and the majority should be located in Ottawa (say about 57,000 positions). Just like Quebec at 23.6% of the popultion should have about 35,000 positions - most of which should be located in the national capital region in Gatineau.

    • Username
      nitpicker
      - November 27, 2012 at 19:46:53

      "Time for these jobs to return to Ottawa." And why is that?

  • Username
    John W.A.Curtis
    - November 27, 2012 at 15:33:04

    I made the mistake of opposing the closure of CFB Summerside. 62% of P.E.I.'s GDP comes from government spending. Now islanders will have to elect federal, provincial and municipal politicians that can produce private sector jobs which should have been in place since the closure of CFB Summerside. Cut the federal government and provincial jobs and force P.E.I to change

    Submit a comment

  • Username
    There is still a future
    - November 27, 2012 at 15:16:22

    TRUDEAU WILL NEVER LOOK GOOD IN THIS DAY AND AGE...TIMES HAVE CHANGED,CANADA IS CHANGED,MANY ISLAND LIBERALS ARE STUCK IN A TIME WARP.....MOST DVA JOBS WERE PATRONAGE,AND WERE OVER STAFFED FROM THE START .DVA WAS A LIBERAL DUMPING GROUND UNTIL OTHER POSITIONS OPENED UP... ,WITH THE NEW TECHNOLOGY LESS POSITIONS ARE NEEDED,CALGARY ,TORONTO ,OTTAWA AND VANCOUVER ARE ALL LOSING POSITIONS BECAUSE OF THIS.MANY WILL BE BY ATTRITION AS THE BABY BOOMERS RETIRE ,THEY WILL NOT BE REPLACED.UPON RETIREMENT ,95% WILL REMAIN HERE.

    Submit a comment

    • Username
      Neil
      - November 27, 2012 at 19:29:08

      TO THERE IS STILL A FUTURE YOU ARE WRONG, AND PLEASE LEARN HOW TO WRITE WITH THE CAPS LOCK OFF. AND SORRY BUT TRUDEAU IS EXACTLY WHAT THIS COUNTRY NEEDS IN THIS DAY AND AGE. I'M CONFIDENT THE BABY BOOMERS WILL LIKE A LEADER WHO FAVOURS SOCIAL PROGRAMS WHEN THE CONSERVATIVES SPEND THEIR PENSIONS.

  • Username
    Neil
    - November 27, 2012 at 13:47:46

    Mr. Trudeau is starting to look like a pretty good leader now isn't he. Albertans have been great to a lot of Islanders who have made some money over the years, but they don't care about your home and where you are from. Gail Shea enjoy your pension and I hope you are proud of who you have served The dream of making a few bucks and moving back home is over. There is nothing to return to. No jobs, no industry and it is by far the most expensive place to live in Canada. Sure homes are cheap, but do the rest of the math. The only way there will be equality across this country is when Harper goes. I moved away from PEI 4 years ago. I dream of moving back, but in reality it ain't going to happen. Time to join forces with the mainland provinces, you can't support yourself.

    Submit a comment

  • Username
    Ouch
    - November 27, 2012 at 13:35:17

    The financial impact of this should be stated before all of the whiners and complainers who resent the fact that some people make more money than others start posting. If the net income of the DVA workers who lose their jobs is $30,000 each this equates to almost 10, 000, 000 dollars, mostly spent in PEI, lost.

    Submit a comment

  • Username
    WHAT PERCENTAGE
    - November 27, 2012 at 13:33:00

    What percentage of those 332 positions are positions that are actually required for operational purposes. Government has always had a tendency to over staff. I understand the deletions will affect people yet why have positions and pay high wages when they are not required?

    Submit a comment

    • Username
      Bobby BooShay
      - November 27, 2012 at 14:37:10

      I would guess that the majority of cuts went to front-line, bottom level staff - people who have the largest impact on quality of public services. Sure, things will still get done, but how well and how fast?

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