Yes, that’s true. We spend billions and billions of dollars on this “cancer,” and there’s no hope it will slow down in the coming years. Even though Mark Carney said he is going to slash some public sector jobs to control spending, the problem continues.
Since 2020, government jobs (federal, provincial, and municipal) have grown by over 21%—more than triple the roughly 6.6% growth in private-sector jobs. “Public administration” (core paper-pushing roles) has surged nearly 27%. Federally, under the previous Liberal government (2015–2024), the public service ballooned by about 43%, from roughly 257,000 to 368,000 employees—far outpacing population growth of around 17–18%. Even with planned reductions, the system remains historically large relative to population. The private sector is not growing nearly as fast as the public sector. We all know what it means when private-sector growth slows down: it gives the government more access and power to control you.
I’m not saying bureaucracy isn’t necessary. It is. In order to run the government, you need people, resources, and proper planning to deliver the essential functions of the state and vital infrastructure projects. But over time, governments have poured so much money into feeding the bureaucracy that they have failed to establish the necessary checks and balances to ensure departments are actually efficient. We just keep throwing taxpayers’ money at it, allowing the bureaucracy to spread like cancer. And it truly has.
We all know the government is inefficient and incompetent. Our fiscal deficit keeps growing, our debt is out of control, and we’re spending more on social welfare schemes than on critical infrastructure. I just don’t understand it: the government collects taxes from us 24/7, yet we still can’t run the country efficiently and remain deep in debt. Where the hell is our money going?
I know the government will always find excuses to meet the never-ending demands of the bureaucracy—even if it makes life harder for the public.