Conservatives misled Canadians about reasons for rising costs

While Treasury Board President Tony Clement has tried to blame workers for rising costs, according to today’s report from the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO), the real culprit is Conservative mismanagement and large-scale hiring.

“The Conservatives like to point the finger at workers, unions, and everyone but themselves for increasing costs – but this report shows the real story,” said NDP Treasury Board critic Mathieu Ravignat (Pontiac). “The reality is employees took a pay cut while the Conservatives went on a hiring binge.”

The PBO’s new report, Federal Public Service Wage Growth, reveals that since Conservatives took power in 2006, real wages of civil servants have fallen and increases to labour costs were primarily the result of hiring and inflation adjustment.

“Conservative mismanagement continues to cost Canadians. They must stop making decisions based on their own ideological rhetoric and instead set policy based on real evidence,” said NDP Finance critic Peggy Nash (Parkdale – High Park). “Canadians deserve better.”