{"id":12884,"date":"2025-11-10T10:23:18","date_gmt":"2025-11-10T15:23:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unesen.ca\/press\/?p=12884"},"modified":"2025-11-10T10:23:19","modified_gmt":"2025-11-10T15:23:19","slug":"new-poll-finds-majority-of-canadians-oppose-deep-federal-public-service-cuts-dont-want-ai-chatbots-delivering-benefits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unesen.ca\/press\/?p=12884","title":{"rendered":"New poll finds majority of Canadians oppose deep federal public service cuts, don\u2019t want AI chatbots delivering benefits"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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As the Carney government moves ahead with plans to slash potentially tens of thousands of federal public service jobs, new polling by the Public Service Alliance of Canada shows that people in Canada are concerned about the impact of cuts on already strained public services and want to talk to humans \u2014 not chatbots \u2014 when accessing federal benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conducted by Crestview Strategy in September, the national survey of 2,000 adults reveals that a clear majority of respondents (51%) oppose widespread layoffs of tens of thousands of federal public service workers. When asked about the government\u2019s planned 15% cuts to most federal departments, respondents were far more likely to express concern (45%) than optimism (19%) about the impact on services and jobs. Instead, most respondents (60%) want the government to prioritize addressing the cost of living.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPeople don\u2019t want reckless cuts to the services they rely on \u2014 they want a government focused on making life more affordable,\u201d said PSAC National President Sharon DeSousa. \u201cThis polling confirms what we\u2019ve been hearing for months: people see the strain on public services every day, and they know cuts will only make life harder for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked why they were concerned about the impact of government\u2019s spending cuts, respondents listed reduced access to public services and longer wait times (33%), potential job losses and increased unemployment (30%), and concerns about the quality and efficiency of public services (16%) as their top three concerns. A majority also agreed that departments delivering essential frontline services \u2014 such as public health (66%), food inspection (61%), passports and benefits (61%), environmental protections (51%), tax administration (55%) and national parks (50%)\u2014 should be protected from cuts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These attitudes reflect a broader sense that federal public services are not bloated, but rather understaffed and strained, an assessment with which a majority of respondents agreed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key findings: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n