QUESTION PERIOD — Ministry of Public Safety
Budget Cutbacks
April 21, 2026
Minister, budget cuts totalling more than $66 million over three years are planned in Public Safety Canada’s 2026-27 Departmental Plan, specifically $15.3 million in 2026-27, $20.4 million in 2027-28, and $30.6 million in 2028-29, in addition to a reduction of approximately 377 full‑time equivalents. These cuts are justified by a reduction in day-to-day operational expenses. However, unlike the CBSA or RCMP, which are operational agencies under your responsibility, the primary value of your department lies not in its operational functions, but rather in its governance, strategic analysis and whole-of-government coordination of the public safety portfolio.
Your department therefore plays a central role. How can the government justify cuts of this magnitude, and what analyses does it rely on to claim that reducing this strategic capacity will not weaken the department—
Thank you, Senator Carignan.
Thank you, senator. As we were going through the Comprehensive Expenditure Review process during the late summer and the fall, the critical thing that we had in mind, especially for the portfolio agencies, was that front-line services to Canadians not be impacted. We have close to 72,000 front-line people that work in the RCMP, the Canada Border Services Agency, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and Correctional Service Canada, and we wanted to ensure that those particular positions were not implicated.
But you’re quite correct with respect to Public Safety Canada. They are having to do essentially the same amount of work with fewer resources, which is across the board in many different departments, and I would say it’s the vast majority of departments within government. It is part of the government transformation that is taking place right now.
I’m confident that this will not have any adverse impact on the safety and security of Canadians. And that was of paramount consideration for us as we went through the Comprehensive Expenditure Review.
The departmental plan justifies the increased use of technology and AI to perform certain tasks. Minister, which functions do you intend to automate without losing capacity? What AI tools have been deployed to date to replace human expertise?
I would say at this point, we have not deployed AI tools that will replace human capacity. Copilot is something that I believe is now being used, but I cannot be certain. Apart from that, I do not believe that AI tools have been deployed in replacing human capacity.
Honourable senators, the time for Question Period has expired. I am certain that you will join me in thanking Minister Anandasangaree.
Thank you, minister, for joining us today.
We will now resume the proceedings that were interrupted at the beginning of Question Period.
