Montreal, QC – The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is welcoming Treasury Board President France-Elaine Duranceau’s effort to reduce Quebec’s bureaucracy.

“Duranceau is right to acknowledge that Quebec’s bureaucracy has grown far beyond what taxpayers can afford,” said Nicolas Gagnon, Quebec Director of the CTF. “Cutting 5,000 positions over two years is a positive step, but it is only the beginning of the cleanup Quebec urgently needs.”

The announcement released last week by the Treasury Board outlines a new phase of the government’s so‑called “choc treatment,” including a plan to cut 5,000 full‑time equivalent positions (FTE) by 2027 and require public‑sector employees to return to the office three days per week.

The current plan to eliminate 5,000 FTEs is expected to generate $375 million in savings by 2027.

Quebec’s public administration has expanded rapidly over the last years. The number of full-time equivalent positions in the public service now stands at 608,000, up from about 499,000 in 2018. 

The cost of bureaucracy has climbed from $44 billion to $64 billion over the same period.

This exercise comes as Quebec attempts to eliminate a $12.4 billion deficit, while annual interest payments on the debt have surpassed $10 billion, according to the latest Fall Economic update. 

“Taxpayers have seen the bureaucracy grow twice as fast as the population and its cost has risen twice as fast as inflation,” Gagnon said. “When the bureaucracy expands by more than 20 percent in seven years while services fall behind, taxpayers are right to demand better.”

The CAQ was first elected in 2018 on a clear commitment to reduce the size of the state by eliminating 5,000 public‑sector positions.