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ANALYSIS

Canada’s public service has come through six years of restraint smaller and with fewer benefits, leaving some bureaucrats wondering — on the eve of Tuesday’s federal budget — how much more they can handle before the programs and services they deliver unravel.

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Federal departments have been absorbing cuts and operating freezes since 2010. Last year, they faced a $13.9-billion reduction and are swallowing another $500-million cut this year. Over six years, departments have seen $45.8 billion cut from planned spending.

About 26,000 jobs have been cut, and the axe is poised to fall on as many as 8,900 more in the next several years.

Some managers say further operating freezes in Tuesday’s budget would be significant blow to “program integrity.” That term refers to when operating funds are so squeezed that the ability to deliver programs on time or at the service levels expected is compromised.