Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, on his official Facebook Page, Photography By John Lehmann
OTTAWA — Federal Conservative MPs are criticizing the Liberal government after reports roughly half the positions at the federal Government Operations Centre, the national hub responsible for coordinating emergency responses, have been eliminated during another severe wildfire season.
Conservative emergency preparedness critic Blake Richards said Thursday the cuts come as communities across Canada continue to battle dangerous wildfires and rely on federal coordination during major emergencies.
“Canadians are right to be concerned that half the positions at the federal Government Operations Centre, which helps protect Canadians from forest fires, have been cut,” Richards said in a statement.
The criticism follows reports from the Public Service Alliance of Canada that approximately 50 of just over 100 positions at the Government Operations Centre have been eliminated as part of the federal government’s Comprehensive Expenditure Review.
The centre, operated by Public Safety Canada, provides around-the-clock situational awareness and coordinates the federal response to national emergencies, including wildfires, floods and other disasters. It activated its highest Level 3 wildfire response on July 17 to support the current wildfire season.
Prime Minister Mark Carney visited the centre earlier this week, highlighting its role in coordinating federal support for wildfire response efforts across the country.
Richards also cited reports that at least 17 Natural Resources Canada employees involved in satellite wildfire mapping have received workforce adjustment notices, raising concerns about additional reductions to federal wildfire monitoring capacity.
He also pointed to a recent Globe and Mail report that the federal government had disbanded the team responsible for Canada’s upgraded weather radar network.
Richards said governments should prioritize emergency preparedness and strengthen the agencies responsible for protecting Canadians during natural disasters.
He said Conservatives would support increased mechanical forest thinning, localized prescribed burns, reducing overlapping command responsibilities between Parks Canada and provincial governments, and expanding the role of local and Indigenous communities in wildfire management.
The Public Service Alliance of Canada has argued reducing staffing at the Government Operations Centre could weaken the federal government’s ability to coordinate emergency responses during increasingly severe wildfire seasons.
Public Safety Canada, the Prime Minister’s Office and Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree’s office did not respond to previous requests for comment on the reported staffing reductions before publication deadlines.
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