Sophie Chatel praises her government’s budget and discusses the modernization of the public service
Sophie Chatel praises her government’s budget and discusses the modernization of the public service
Pontiac–Kitigan Zibi MP Sophie Chatel discusses the 2025 Federal Budget and the modernization of the public service
Pontiac–Kitigan Zibi MP Sophie Chatel spoke about the tabling of the 2025 federal budget, which she says focuses on responsible choices — “fewer unnecessary expenses and generational investments to build a more self-sufficient economy.”
“Today, because of the unjustified tariffs imposed by the American president, much of what we value is under threat: our jobs, our businesses, our farmers, and the opportunities we want to offer our children. We can’t control the American president. But we can protect our economy and our way of life. And that’s exactly what this budget does — it makes strategic investments in housing construction, in manufacturing equipment and facilities, in our ports and transportation systems, in clean energy and technology, in our hospitals, and also, in our youth,” said Sophie Chatel.
Chatel also spoke of the need to “modernize the public service,” a phrase she uses to describe, in part, a plan to reduce the size of the federal workforce through various measures.
“The 2025 Budget lays out a path to bring the size of our public service back to a sustainable level, in line with best practices and comparable to our international counterparts. In departments where there will be staff reductions, most of these will occur through attrition and a voluntary early retirement incentive program,” she explained.
Chatel emphasized that this reduction will not prevent a strong renewal within the younger generation of public servants. “In fact, major investments in artificial intelligence and digitalization will allow professionals to spend less time on administrative tasks and more time on high-value, strategic mandates for Canada. This will help attract young talent to the public service,” she asserted.
The MP also highlighted that in the National Capital Region, defense plays a crucial role as a sector that supports jobs, systems, and advanced technologies. The government, she noted, has announced a generational investment of $30 billion over five years to strengthen national defense, modernize military infrastructure, and reach 2% of GDP in defense spending as early as this year.
One of the budget measures that could have a major impact on the Outaouais economy is the Productivity Super Deduction — an accelerated tax deduction for the purchase of manufacturing and processing equipment and facilities. “In the Outaouais, it will support a thriving agri-food processing sector, including businesses such as Flirt, La Trappe à fromage, and the Laiterie de l’Outaouais, helping them to expand, adopt cutting-edge technologies, and create quality jobs in our region,” Chatel explained.
Regarding municipalities, Sophie Chatel noted that the 2025 Budget introduces the new Building Strong Communities Fund, which will finance, through provinces and territories, projects led by municipalities and Indigenous partners.
“The mayors of Pontiac–Kitigan Zibi consistently stress the urgent need to build and modernize municipal infrastructure. This fund will support projects that promote housing construction and improve essential services such as roads, water and sewage systems, health facilities, and community infrastructure. The goal is to provide affordable housing and better services for both youth and seniors, so they can remain in their communities, close to their loved ones,” said the federal MP, who was re-elected earlier this year.
Finally, the Pontiac–Kitigan Zibi MP addressed the issue of reducing the cost of living for families. She noted that the 2025 Budget cuts taxes for 22 million Canadians and makes the National School Food Program permanent — a measure that will provide meals to up to 400,000 children each year. “For hundreds of families in Pontiac–Kitigan Zibi, the School Food Program represents savings of up to $840 per year, helping to ease grocery bills while ensuring that students eat local, nutritious food at school. Together, these measures mean bigger paycheques thanks to lower taxes, and well-fed children in our schools,” Chatel said.
The full interview with Pontiac–Kitigan Zibi MP Sophie Chatel, is available here.