The Conservative Party of Canada has unveiled its platform, promising to tackle the “bloated Liberal bureaucracy” while safeguarding frontline services for Canadians.
Under the section titled “Trim Bloated Bureaucracy, Not Services,” the Conservatives are pledging to reduce federal spending on bureaucracy and consulting while reforming the hiring criteria for public service jobs.
A key proposal is the elimination of university degree requirements for most federal roles, shifting to a skills-based hiring model. This change aims to remove barriers for capable Canadians who may not hold formal post-secondary credentials.
The Conservatives are proposing a measured streamlining of the federal public service, relying on natural attrition and retirement to downsize the bureaucracy over time.
Only two of every three departing public servants would be replaced under the plan, allowing for a gradual reduction without sudden layoffs.
To curb what it characterizes as waste and abuse, the platform also proposes a ban on “double-dipping” ensuring that federal officials cannot profit from both their government salary and side contracts funded by public dollars.
Anotherreform includes the introduction of plain language laws to simplify legislation arguing that clearer legal texts will make law enforcement easier and regulations understandable for more Canadians.
The plan also targets Ottawa’s heavy reliance on external consulting services which amounted to $15.6 billion of federal spending in 2023 alone.
The party pledges to slash consultant spending by $10.5 billion, as a part of its efforts to cut government spending to cut the deficit by 70 per cent as announced by Conservative Leader Poilievre Poilievre via X.
Carney’s announced platform increases the debt by $225 billion over the next four years, even more than the $131 billion projected by the former Trudeau government according to its last fall economic statement.
The platform reinforces Poilievre’s messaging on fiscal conservatism which has remained central to the Conservative campaign this election.