Statement made on 17 June 2010 by Senator Claudette Tardif
Hon. Claudette Tardif (Deputy Leader of the Opposition):
Honourable senators, the senators on our side of the chamber share the President of the Treasury Board's desire to eliminate the enormous $54 billion deficit the government has accumulated over the past few years. It goes without saying that no money can be saved by building useless artificial lakes, amphitheatres and media centres. However, we believe that money can be saved within the public service.
This week, Minister Stockwell Day announced that federal bureaucrats will be given $10,000 bonuses for finding ways to save taxpayer dollars. The Public Service Alliance of Canada has condemned this initiative, stating that by providing this kind of incentive to employees, the federal government's new program "will pit worker against worker and cause chaos in the workplace."
Why is the government not trying to create a more collaborative environment for the public service by working with all public servants instead of creating a competitive environment to eliminate the huge deficit it has accumulated?
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