On Tuesday, June 17th, National President David Neufeld had the opportunity to meet with recently named Minister of Public Safety, Gary Anandasangaree and MP for Scarborough—Guildwood—Rouge Park. Mr. Anandasangaree was previously the Minister of Crown–Indigenous relations and Northern affairs from December 2024 to May 2025 and Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada from March to May 2025.
This meeting was an invaluable opportunity to introduce Minister Anandasangaree and his senior staff to USJE’s role representing nearly 20,000 federal public safety personnel across 18 federal departments – who live and work in hundreds of communities across the country.
As this was a short introductory meeting, President Neufeld provided an overview of the role USJE’s members play in keeping Canadians safe and highlighted three priority areas.
- President Neufeld noted that USJE members have already felt the impact of the recent Refocusing Government Spending Initiative, with the use of “stop the clock” for term employees, the reduction or elimination of term employees, and the decision to not backfill positions when employees retire from the federal service. He emphasized that Phase Two of this initiative is predicted to have even deeper consequences for our frontline workers, exacerbating the problems of an overburdened public safety frontline and potentially compromising public safety outcomes.
- President Neufeld appealed to the Minister to fully apprehend the crucial services that Canada’s federal public safety agencies provide and ensure that they are not subject to cuts that would undermine the safety of Canadians from coast to coast to coast. He also strongly encouraged the Minister to join USJE on a site visit to a number of federal buildings/facilities in the Greater Toronto area, or Kingston, to meet some of USJE’s front line members working in federal Corrections and the RCMP, among other Institutions, later this summer or early fall.
- In regards to the RCMP, President Neufeld emphasized USJE’s campaign to amplify awareness of the varied roles that USJE members play as federal public service employees within the RCMP given that they comprise the operational backbone of the RCMP. He shared the website information, and two Op-eds that have been written by Regional Vice Presidents from Alberta on the matter.
- Mr. Neufeld also emphasized the significant investment of time by USJE to advocate for the RCMP in Alberta and other provinces where the future of federal policing is under threat. This clearly includes Alberta where, in May of this year, Premier Danielle Smith’s government adopted provincial legislation that creates the conditions for municipalities in Alberta to sever their ties with the RCMP which has provided essential community-based policing in the province for decades.
- President Neufeld noted that, when the role of the RCMP is in flux, it contributes to low morale, increased burnout, and high turnover by not just Regular Members, but public service employees as well. Protecting and investing in the RCMP promotes stability, helps retain invaluable local public safety knowledge, and reduces costly recruitment challenges. Minister Anandasangaree was encouraged to utilize USJE’s perspectives and insights regarding the RCMP in order to ensure long term investments that ensure a robust and responsive federal policing agency.
- Finally, President Neufeld invited the Minister and his team to immediately support USJE’s in its efforts to amend the federal legislation, the Government Employees Compensation Act. He reminded the Minister that changes to GECA would ensure that federal public safety workers receive equitable mental health protections, and aligns with the priorities laid out in the Speech from the Throne. These priorities include rebuilding Canada’s public institutions, addressing systemic gaps in mental health care, and improving workplace safety for those on the front lines of service.
- USJE noted that many federal public safety personnel, including federal parole officers, program officers, RCMP operational staff, legal assistants within the Ministry of Justice, among many others, are exposed to traumatic incidents, materials and criminalized persons creating an acute vulnerability to Occupational Stress Injuries. However, they do not have the same mental health protections as Uniformed Members in many provincial jurisdictions. As it is currently written, GECA leaves behind tens of thousands of federal public safety personnel who suffer from psychological injuries owing to their efforts to keep Canadians safe.
President Neufeld also strongly encouraged the Minister to work with his colleagues in the Ministry of Labour to support the amendments to GECA that USJE is proposing as quickly as possible. The opportunity for the Minister to participate in USJE’s second event on Parliament Hill this fall, highlighting World Mental Health Day in October 2025, was raised. USJE will extend an invitation to the Minister so he can better understand the urgency of the matter when it comes to improved access to Presumptive Injury coverage for USJE’s members and work with all parties to get the legislation approved.