Tuesday's federal budget offers a glimpse into how dozens of government departments plan to rein in spending following this summer's comprehensive expenditure review.
The review aimed to find "ambitious savings" of up to 15 per cent over three years. The results were included with the budget, which still needs to pass a confidence vote.
The budget includes $141 billion in new spending, offset by cuts and savings as the government hopes to slash the bureaucracy by 16,000 full-time equivalent positions over the next three fiscal years.
It's part of a larger goal to reduce the federal public service to 333,000 employees by 2029 β about 40,000 fewer workers than the all-time high in 2024. Job reductions are already underway, shrinking the bureaucracy by about 10,000 employees since last year.
While the budget doesn't detail where the job cuts will happen, it does break down how some departments plan to tighten their belts leading up to 2030. Not all departments were included in the review submissions.
Housing, Veterans Affairs and the Canada Revenue Agency came up with some of the biggest savings, ranging from $4.1 billion to $5.4 billion, but the impact will vary depending on the size of each department's budget.
Here's a breakdown, with the total savings estimated for the next four fiscal years:
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada will "reorient" its programs and operational expenses to align with government priorities, the budget states.
It's shutting down some programs such as the Agricultural Climate Solution Living Labs. It will also reduce some science activities to become more cost-effective in the long term, but says it will continue work in such areas as crops and horticulture, animal production and environmental sustainability.
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is closing down some programs including the Digital Services Tax, Federal Fuel Charge and Canada Carbon Rebate.
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