Call to freeze size of public sector will make life worse for Albertans

The past few years have been difficult. The collapse in oil prices saw thousands of jobs impacted and the province’s revenues decline as a result of our reliance on a rollercoaster income stream that has yet to be properly addressed by our politicians.

Yet even in the face of an economic crash, Alberta’s population has continued to grow.

Since 2010, our province has added more than 550,000 people — a 14.8 per cent increase.

Alberta’s economic bust, combined with the population boom, has heightened demand on a number of services, including those provided by the provincial government, leaving the already-stretched front lines of the Alberta public service strained beyond capacity.

This situation is exacerbated by the fact front-line staffing levels have remained essentially flat over the past seven years.

From the peace officers who serve in our correctional facilities and communities, to the staff who guide Albertans through programs such as income support to help them make ends meet, all are feeling the intense pressures of an overwhelmed front line.

Social and youth workers who are there to help our kids and families through difficulties are seeing workloads increase at a pace that’s near impossible to keep up with.

Sheriffs who work hard to protect us, commercial vehicle inspectors who keep our roads safe, environment and wildlife officers who steward our natural resources, court clerks who ensure that our justice system runs, and many others are forced to do more with less, and it’s having a negative impact on services.

So it’s baffling that Finance Minister Joe Ceci stated in the Calgary Herald on Dec. 4 that the province is “freezing the size of the Alberta public service” when there are already not enough staff to meet demand. The truth is this policy amounts to service cuts for the more than 4.2 million of us.

Our members are proud to provide important provincial services and are finding it increasingly difficult to support Albertans in the way they need and deserve.

These workers did not cause the collapse in commodity prices or the resulting provincial deficit. They are your neighbours, friends, relatives or even a partner or spouse. They are taxpayers and voters who helped support families and communities through Alberta’s recession.

Whatever the future holds, we will continue to stand up for the health, safety and well-being of our growing province.

Guy Smith, Edmonton

Guy Smith is president of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees.

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DAVID BLOOM/ FILES Alberta Union of Provincial Employees president Guy Smith argues that with Alberta’s population rising by more than half a million since 2010, the pressures on members of his union have been steadily mounting with many feeling overwhelmed.