Article content continued

The PBO report questions whether this slightly improved performance can be sustained as spending cuts continue to make their way through the system and federal departments are poised to get rid of another 8,900 jobs over the next three years.

Federal spending cuts are ramping up to hit $14.6 billion in 2014-15 – including the $3.8 billion in cuts that came into effect on April 1, 2014.

The findings defy critics who argued the government couldn’t cut billions in spending and thousands of staff without eroding the quality of services. These critics pointed to the flood of complaints about diminishing service after the government closed Veterans Affairs offices and reduced staff at Service Canada offices.

Askari said the findings are surprising in light of the massive downsizing, but he said the PBO had to take the departments “at their word” and was not provided the data to independently evaluate whether they were meeting those targets.

The PBO has been locked in a longstanding battle to get information from departments about the nature of the 2012 cuts; it even took the government to court. The government has so far refused to provide the data, and Askari said that without it, the PBO is unable to determine whether the modest improvements can be maintained.

The government has faced an endless outcry from veterans who say their services are deteriorating. Critics, including former PBO Kevin Page, predicted that the closure of Veterans Affairs offices was the beginning of lower-quality services Canadians will face in the government’s drive to balance the books by 2015.