Sisters, Brothers, and Friends,
At first glance, the Union of Taxation Employees (UTE) is disappointed and dissatisfied with the measures contained in the federal budget tabled yesterday by the Minister of Finance, the Honorable François-Philippe Champagne, regarding the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). Although we note that the government appears to be reducing the size of the budget cuts initially announced by the Agency's Commissioner, the fact remains that the Carney government continues to impose cuts on the CRA's budget.
On September 2, Minister Champagne and Secretary of State Long announced the launch of a 100-day improvement plan at the CRA. They acknowledged that service delays and access difficulties are unacceptable. They said they take the situation very seriously and promised to implement concrete measures to strengthen services, improve access, and reduce delays. All of these problems stem from massive budget cuts that have already been made over the past two years, including 10,000 jobs lost since May 2024.
In response to the Minister's letter, our union expressed serious concerns. We demanded that the government abandon the planned budget cuts to the CRA and reinvest significant amounts of money in the Agency in its budget in order to restore acceptable service standards.
The budget tabled yesterday does not meet our requirements, and our union continues to have serious concerns about the Agency's ability to provide quality and timely services to Canadians. There is no room for further reductions in the workforce of our members who provide the front-line services that Canadians rely on. The CRA has already contributed enough to the government's cost-saving efforts.
Instead of making further cuts, the government could have made substantial savings by allowing its employees to work from home full-time and getting rid of costly buildings.
The budget reiterates the government's clear intention to significantly increase the use of artificial intelligence (AI), new technologies, and the automation of certain processes. The “reinvestments” planned in the budget come from budget cuts and appear to be geared toward digital services rather than the addition of new human resources.
And now, what will happen after the 100-day plan ends? How will the CRA improve services and handle the next tax season?
That being said, we would like to reiterate that we are willing to work with the Agency, Minister Champagne, and Secretary of State Long to find solutions together that will provide the quality public services that Canadians expect and deserve.
Several points remain to be clarified, and we intend to continue discussions.
We will keep you informed of any new developments as soon as possible.
In Solidarity,
Marc Brière
National President
Union of Taxation Employees