On March 12, PIPSC President Sean O’Reilly appeared before the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates (OGGO) as part of its study of the federal government’s Comprehensive Expenditure Review (CER).

Watch the committee hearing

The hearing gave PIPSC an opportunity to bring members’ expertise and concerns directly to Parliament, including the risks CER-related cuts pose to scientific capacity, transportation safety, and other critical systems Canadians rely on every day.

“These are the experts who make sure the critical systems Canadians rely on every day actually work,” O’Reilly told MPs.

Food safety and rail oversight raised

During the hearing, O’Reilly highlighted reductions affecting scientists, veterinarians, and inspectors at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).

“Millions of Canadian families trust that the food they buy to feed their children is safe. When that trust is misplaced, the consequences can be severe,” O’Reilly warned. “Foodborne illness can spread before contamination is detected. Export markets can be shut down overnight when confidence in a country’s inspection system is shaken.”

He also raised concerns about reductions affecting rail safety oversight at Transport Canada, where engineers and technical specialists monitor infrastructure, equipment standards, and operating practices across one of the largest rail networks in the world.

“Rail safety depends on trained professionals who detect problems before accidents occur,” O’Reilly told the committee.

Outsourcing and service impacts questioned

MPs also pressed witnesses on whether reducing internal expertise while outsourcing more work could affect the quality and reliability of government services.

Federal spending on professional and special services has reached historic levels, with outsourcing now roughly double pre-pandemic levels.

O’Reilly warned MPs that reducing internal expertise while increasing reliance on consultants risks weakening the public service’s long-term capacity.

“When internal capacity is weakened, governments frequently turn to outsourcing to fill the gap,” he said. “Cuts that remove this expertise may look efficient on paper. But when expertise disappears, the risks and the costs return later.”

MPs raise concerns about expertise and preparedness

During the hearing, MPs questioned whether workforce reductions could weaken Canada’s scientific capacity and public services.

NDP MP Alexandre Boulerice asked whether cuts to scientific roles could leave Canada less prepared for future crises such as pandemics. Conservative MP Kelly Block raised concerns that reducing internal expertise while outsourcing more work could affect service standards across government programs.

Responding to questions from MPs, O’Reilly emphasized how difficult it is to rebuild lost expertise once experienced professionals leave the public service.

“When experienced professionals leave the public service, that expertise doesn’t just disappear from an org chart — it disappears from the system. Rebuilding that capacity takes years.”

Evidence submitted to the committee

As part of the study, PIPSC submitted a detailed brief outlining the risks CER-related workforce reductions pose to federal scientific capacity and other critical systems.

The submission documents how cuts are affecting areas including food safety, emergency preparedness, transportation safety, environmental protection, and public health oversight.

Read the full submission

The brief warns that workforce reductions at this scale risk removing decades of institutional knowledge from the federal public service, weakening Canada’s ability to detect and prevent problems before they escalate.

Parliamentary study continues

The OGGO committee will continue examining the Comprehensive Expenditure Review in the coming weeks as departments release more details about planned reductions.

O’Reilly closed his testimony with a warning about the long-term consequences of reducing internal expertise.

“Because when expertise disappears, problems don’t disappear,” he told the committee. “They just show up later — and they cost far more to fix.”

Murray Perrett is an Area Fisheries Manager with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Newfoundland. It’s an important role in a region where fishing is not only a major economic driver, but the “heart and soul of the community.”

He works in resource management to ensure commercial and recreational fisheries operate smoothly and sustainably. 

“We have a very big coastline in Newfoundland and Labrador, and my job is to make sure that there's fish out there for the fish harvesters to catch,” he says.

The fishing industry affects nearly everyone on the island, from the boat crews to the fish plant workers and Indigenous communities.

A rewarding part of Murray’s job is helping Indigenous communities obtain licenses to fish for food, social, and ceremonial purposes. He says access to fresh, local fish is crucial, given the high cost of food in remote northern areas.

Although Murray spends most days in the office, his favorite part of the job is getting out to meet local harvesters.

“I want to hear from them. What are their concerns? Where’s the fishery going? It’s an opportunity to talk to them and get feedback.”

Happy Valley-Goose Bay is a small town, and Murray sometimes gets stopped by community members outside of the office with questions about the local fishery. 

“That’s the nice thing. We work collaboratively with the fish harvesters to help manage the fishery together, like one team. Even though I’m a public servant with the Government of Canada, we’re working as a team, and I really like that.”

Murray is also a proud member of PIPSC. As someone who values labour and community, he says it’s critical to have union representation.

“The public servants that we have work really hard and take pride in the work we do – and it's important work that we do. I just wish the public did see more of what we did behind the scenes.”

It’s not always smooth waters. Murray says the job can be stressful because when something goes wrong, livelihoods are at stake.

Sometimes, a fishing vessel will break down, resulting in lost income for a harvester and their family. Murray will work late to get them a new vessel and back on the water as soon and safely as possible. 

Once, a captain fell ill on a boat and was medevaced out, leaving the vessel and gear still out there on the water. Murray quickly oversaw the process of getting a licensed replacement to take over, continue fishing, and bring the product to shore.

Resource management requires swift action, but also foresight to ensure Canada’s fishery resources provide for generations to come.

“It’s important to make sure that we have a sustainable fishery in the future so that these communities can continue to thrive,” Murray says.

“Climate change (is) the big question mark,” he adds. “Our oceans are changing, and we are seeing species here in Labrador that have never been here before.” 

He points to crab, a species that has traditionally been fished in cold, deep water. Crab behavior is changing, and they are crawling up into shallower water to get to the cold medium they like. 

As fish harvesters adapt their practices, Murray is there every step of the way to help them navigate the changes.

Supporting fisheries is a team effort. Murray shares an office building with fellow public servants who do vital work in statistics, science, conservation, and protection. The pace is hectic and any given day can bring new challenges.

Despite the demands of work, Murray still finds time to pursue other passions that bring him closer to his community, such as farming. He’s passed down his enthusiasm for the Canadian outdoors to his two children, and hopes the beauty of their coastline will be cherished for generations to come.

“This resource belongs to Canada. It belongs to the people. We are just managing this fishery to make sure that it’s sustainable, to make sure that we always have fish in the water that can be sustainably harvested and will be there for the future.”

Murray believes in his work, he believes in protecting Canada’s resources – our oceans, our wildlife – and the communities at the heart of them. 

OTTAWA, March 11, 2026 — Sean O’Reilly, President of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC), will appear before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates (OGGO) as part of its study of the federal government’s Comprehensive Expenditure Review (CER).

O’Reilly will raise with Committee members the way federal spending cuts and workforce reductions will weaken Canada’s internal expertise and undermine the delivery of public services. His testimony will highlight the dangers of a growing reliance on outsourcing and the loss of scientific and technical capacity across government.

What: Appearance before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates (OGGO) Study of the Comprehensive Expenditure Review

Where: House of Commons, Room 125-B, West Block, Ottawa (ON) and also via House of Commons webcast, Parl-Vu at https://parlvu.parl.gc.ca/Harmony/en/PowerBrowser/PowerBrowserV2?fk=13387431

When: Thursday, March 12, 2026, 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. ET

Who: 

• Sean O’Reilly, President of PIPSC, and 
• Christine Poirier, Manager, National Policy Office, PIPSC

PIPSC represents over 85,000 public-sector professionals across the country, most of them employed by the federal government. Follow us on Facebook, on X (formerly known as Twitter) and on Instagram.

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For more information: Johanne Fillion,  613-883-4900 (mobile)  jfillion@pipsc.ca

The following op-ed by PIPSC President Sean O’Reilly was published in the Hill Times on March 5, 2026.

The assumption appears to be that fewer experts can somehow do more with less—an impossibility in a system already stretched past its limits.

Canada is entering a defining trade moment.

With relations with the United States increasingly volatile, Prime Minister Mark Carney has been clear about the path forward: reduce Canada’s dependence on the U.S., and grow non-American exports by 50 per cent over the next decade.

That goal is ambitious and necessary. But it rests on a critical assumption: that Canada has the public infrastructure needed to earn and maintain the trust of global markets. Right now, that foundation is being weakened.

Cuts to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) threaten one of this country’s most valuable trade assets: confidence in our food safety, and animal and plant health systems. At the precise moment when credibility and speed matter most, Canada is stripping capacity from the system that underpins access to hundreds of international markets.

Canada’s food and agriculture economy is worth $100-billion annually. CFIA’s $839-million budget protects that entire ecosystem of trade—an extraordinary return on investment. Yet, these cuts put it at risk by eliminating over a million hours of inspection, surveillance, and scientific expertise each year. This is not trimming bureaucracy; it is removing the experts who stop disease before it shuts borders down.

Trading partners do not take a country’s word that its animals, plants, or food are safe. Veterinary epidemiologists, disease and insect vector surveillance, and risk analysis are core trade requirements. Cutting this expertise increases the risk of undetected diseases entering Canada, and jeopardizes access to export markets by laying off the very experts who help keep them open.

Imagine an outbreak of a disease such as bluetongue, African swine fever, or even a single case of foot-and-mouth disease without adequate domestic surveillance in place. Canada would lose its export status overnight, devastating entire sectors. Without veterinarians to investigate, contain, and certify disease status, outbreaks spread faster, markets stay closed longer, and losses compound. The risk of zoonotic disease spilling into the human population also grows.

There is no plan for managing these risks under the proposed cuts.

The assumption appears to be that fewer experts can somehow do more with less—an impossibility in a system already stretched past its limits. Workload has surged in the last decade, but staffing hasn’t kept up. Already, this country lacks sufficient veterinary capacity to inspect export trucks before they leave the country. The system is operating without redundancy; further cuts risk removing the safety margin entirely.

The expertise required is neither abundant, nor replaceable. There are only a handful of veterinary epidemiologists in Canada, and only dozens globally. We cannot afford to lose them. Universities and the private sector do not maintain national surveillance systems, nor should they. If CFIA were to lose capacity, the work does not get “streamlined.” It stops.

Diversifying trade to non-U.S. markets will only increase the pressure CFIA faces. Canada’s trade negotiators cannot secure new market access without the surveillance, data, and controls provided by CFIA. Every trading partner imposes commodity-specific requirements that CFIA regulates for export.

To trade, Canada must be able to demonstrate compliance. If a large partner requires expanded monitoring—for example, for insects that may carry bluetongue—and this country lacks the capacity to deliver it, market access is lost and industry suffers the loss. Expanding market access is not achievable if importing countries do not maintain confidence in CFIA’s inspection systems. This makes the Canadian economy more reliant on the U.S., not less.

Strong surveillance is not a luxury; it is the lowest-cost alternative to export bans and preventable public-health emergencies. At a time when Canada is trying to build resilience, economic sovereignty, and independence from a single hegemonic market, weakening the CFIA is reckless and entirely unnecessary, putting billions of dollars in trade at risk.

Sean O’Reilly is the president of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada.

 

For 15 consecutive years, Iceland has ranked number one in the world for gender equality. Canada ranks 36th.

That gap represents more than a number. It reflects who advances into leadership, who carries unpaid caregiving work, and whose economic contributions are undervalued.

In Canada, women make up nearly half the workforce but hold just 29% of senior leadership roles. Women earn 87 cents for every dollar earned by men and report spending 4 to 8 additional hours each week on unpaid care for children and adults.

We know advancing gender equity could add $150 billion to Canada’s GDP. The case for change is not abstract. It is economic, social, and urgent.

Iceland shows what’s possible when equality is treated as a national priority, backed by policy, cultural expectation, and sustained public commitment.

On International Women’s Day, join us for a conversation with Eliza Reid – bestselling author, former First Lady of Iceland, and leading advocate for gender equality – as we explore how Iceland achieved measurable progress and what it would take for Canada to do the same.

When: Tuesday, March 10 at 1:00 PM ET

Where: Zoom

Register now

All webinar attendees will be entered to win one of 25 copies of Eliza Reid’s newest book, The First Lady Next Door.

If you have questions, please contact bettertogether@pipsc.ca.

Let’s move beyond acknowledging the gap – and start discussing how to close it.

As union members and public service professionals, we’re facing several serious threats. Thousands of public service professionals have already received WFA letters, including those who work in critical services that will directly impact Canadians. These cuts threaten the stability of our communities, the quality of life we work hard to protect, and the very future of the public service. 

We are pushing back against these shortsighted decisions. Recently, we organized an event to highlight the dangerous cuts happening to food inspectors at the CFIA – and the impacts those cuts could have on all Canadians. But we have to keep up the pressure on multiple fronts, and we need your help.

To add insult to injury, we’ve been ordered back into the office 4 days per week. This is happening despite years of demonstrated productivity, and despite clear evidence that remote work supports recruitment, retention, and service delivery. This mandate is not about performance, collaboration or better service to Canadians. 

Here’s the truth: these actions are being justified because far too many – MPs included – don’t fully understand the work we do. That’s why it’s time to make our work visible. 

We are pushing back against these shortsighted decisions. This March, PIPSC is launching our next Regional Lobby Week, so members like you can connect with your MP, share your experiences, and help build understanding of the vital work we do.

We’re looking for members across Canada who are willing to volunteer to meet their MPs and share the stories of how these cuts are putting Canadians at risk and how RTO mandates will make things worse. Can you help us?

Lobby Dates: March 30 to April 2

 Sign Up Here

You don’t need prior lobbying or advocacy experience – we’ve got your back with all the training and support you’ll need.

Once you’re signed up, we’ll follow up with details and an invitation to one of our mandatory virtual lobby training sessions. Questions? Contact us anytime at gov_relations@pipsc.ca.

Public service workers are the backbone of this country. We’ve always shown up for Canadians – now, we need to show up for each other. 

Let’s raise our voices, together in solidarity, because when experts are cut, the risk increases. Cuts today, crisis tomorrow.

Ottawa, February 23, 2026 – Ten years after the launch of the Phoenix pay system, the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) is warning that the crisis is not over and that similar failures could occur again if the federal government does not rebuild internal expertise.

Today, PIPSC released its report Phoenix: 10 Years of Failure, examining why the system failed, why serious problems persist, and what the experience reveals about how complex government systems are delivered.

“Ten years after the launch of Phoenix, it is still failing on a regular basis to deliver public servants' paycheques correctly,” said Sean O’Reilly, President of PIPSC. “This means taxpayers are funding stabilization efforts while also paying to build a replacement.”

The report also warns that work force adjustment (WFA) measures, including early retirement, alternation, and layoffs, are expected to significantly increase the volume and complexity of pay transactions.

“Without additional stabilization and resourcing, the surge of WFAs risks generating new errors and expanding the backlog exponentially” said O’Reilly.

Since 2017, the federal government has spent nearly $5 billion responding to Phoenix-related failures. As of December 2025, approximately 238,000 pay errors or changes remain outstanding, nearly half more than one year old. The system continues to receive roughly 117,000 new transactions per month, more than three-quarters requiring manual processing.

IBM, the system’s original developer, has received more than $650 million in total payments, stemming from an initial $5.7 million contract that was repeatedly amended and expanded.

Concerns about staffing capacity, system readiness, and implementation pace were raised before Phoenix went live. The Auditor General later confirmed those warnings were not heeded.

“Before Phoenix was launched, more than 1,200 experienced pay advisors were eliminated, services were centralized, oversight was weakened, and documented risks were ignored,” said O’Reilly. “When the system began to fail, the expertise needed to fix it was no longer there.”

PIPSC is raising similar concerns about broader trends across government. As departments reduce internal staffing through work force adjustment, reliance on external contractors continues to grow. Government spending on professional services is expected to reach $26.1 billion this year, nearly double pre-pandemic levels. The shift from in-house expertise to outsourcing mirrors the conditions that contributed to the Phoenix failure.

“Phoenix showed what happens when internal capacity is weakened and complex systems are delivered without sufficient in-house expertise,” said O’Reilly. “When payroll failed, the damage was largely contained within the public service. If similar failures occur in systems that deliver pensions or benefits, the consequences would affect millions of Canadians.”

PIPSC is calling on the federal government to:

• Sign a renewed damages agreement for employees affected since March 31, 2020
• Fully resource the Miramichi Pay Centre before work force adjustment pressures intensify
• Retain internal pay and IT expertise until replacement systems demonstrate sustained stability
• Reduce reliance on outsourcing and rebuild in-house capacity

“Modernization requires expertise,” O’Reilly said. “You cannot hollow out the people who understand the system and expect it to function. It takes experts to run a country.”

PIPSC represents over 85,000 public-sector professionals across the country, most of them employed by the federal government. Follow us on Facebook, on X (formerly known as Twitter) and on Instagram.

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For more information:

Johanne Fillion, 613-883-4900 (mobile), jfillion@pipsc.ca

Justin Vossenberg, 613-612-8313 (mobile), jvossenberg@pipsc.ca

Ten years ago, the federal government launched the Phoenix pay system. It was presented as a modernization effort that would save money and make the government more efficient.

Instead, it became one of the most damaging administrative failures in recent Canadian history.

PIPSC’s new report, Phoenix: 10 Years of Failure, examines how this happened, why the crisis continues, and what it tells us about the way complex government systems are being delivered today.

Since 2017, the federal government has spent nearly $5 billion responding to Phoenix-related failures. Nearly $350 million has already been spent developing its replacement. As of late 2025, approximately 238,000 pay transactions remain outstanding. For thousands of public servants, the consequences have meant financial stress, uncertainty, and years of disruption.

Phoenix did not fail because payroll is inherently unmanageable. It failed because internal expertise was cut before the system was ready. Roughly 1,200 experienced pay advisor positions were eliminated prior to launch. Services were centralized. Oversight was reduced. Documented risks were not addressed.

When problems emerged, the internal capacity to correct them had already been dismantled.

Concerns about staffing capacity, system readiness, and implementation pace were raised before Phoenix went live. The Auditor General later confirmed that these warnings were not heeded.

The lesson of Phoenix is not just about payroll. It is about capacity.

It is about what happens when governments reduce the very expertise required to manage complexity at scale. It is about what happens when long-term institutional knowledge is replaced with short-term contracting and outsourcing. It is about what happens when cost-cutting is mistaken for efficiency.

Today, similar pressures are visible across the government. Internal capacity continues to shrink while reliance on external providers grows. At the same time, large-scale digital systems are being developed to deliver pensions, benefits, and other services that millions of Canadians rely on.

When payroll failed, the damage was largely contained within the public service. If similar failures occur in public-facing systems, the consequences would reach far beyond it.

It takes experts to run a country. It takes experienced public servants to design, oversee, and stabilize the systems that Canadians depend on every day.

Phoenix should not be treated as a closed chapter in administrative history.

It is a warning.

Read the full report here

Canada cannot afford to repeat this mistake.

Ottawa, February 19, 2026 — The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) has filed an unfair labour practice complaint with the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board. The complaint responds to the federal government’s decision to impose a new in-office mandate while collective bargaining is underway.

The complaint challenges the government’s decision to change terms and conditions of employment in the middle of negotiations — a move that directly affects thousands of PIPSC members and undermines the bargaining process.

In addition to the unfair labour practice complaint, PIPSC has filed a policy grievance challenging the Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer’s unilateral change to the Direction on Prescribed Presence in the Workplace — increasing the requirement from 3 to 4 days per week by July 6, 2026.

“The government is required to bargain in good faith,” said PIPSC President Sean O’Reilly. “Imposing significant workplace changes in the middle of negotiations, without consultation, undermines that obligation and the rights of our members.”

Remote work and modern workplace practices are central bargaining priorities. 

PIPSC maintains that the announcement was made without proper consultation and is inconsistent with the spirit and intent of the existing Letter of Agreement between the Treasury Board of Canada and PIPSC regarding telework.

The return-to-office directive follows other recent unilateral decisions by the federal government, including failures to meaningfully consult on work force adjustment measures.

“Healthy labour relations depend on stability and respect for the bargaining process,” O’Reilly added. “Our members deserve to have their working conditions negotiated — not dictated.”

No evidence has been publicly presented to justify the expanded on-site requirement.

Negotiations are currently underway for the majority of PIPSC members affected by this decision, including proposals related to remote work and modern workplace practices.

“It takes experts to run a country,” said O’Reilly. “Policies that make it harder to attract and retain those experts ultimately weaken the services Canadians rely on.”

PIPSC will continue to defend its members’ bargaining rights before the Board and at the bargaining table. PIPSC will provide updates as proceedings progress.

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PIPSC represents over 85,000 public-sector professionals across the country, most of them employed by the federal government. Follow us on Facebook, on X (formerly known as Twitter) and on Instagram.

For more information: Johanne Fillion, 613-883-4900 (mobile), jfillion@pipsc.ca