​VANCOUVER—In a move that has fiscal experts clutching their pearls and unions bracing for impact, the B.C. government has unveiled its plan to deal with a ballooning civil service: by ballooning the provincial debt. Dubbed the "Strategic Investment for Inevitable Efficiency" plan, the strategy is a masterclass in political double-speak, promising to trim the fat by adding so much new muscle that the fat just... disappears.

​The province, which recently announced a record-breaking deficit of over $11 billion, will pump billions of new dollars into "strategic, high-impact investments" in areas like economic development and new social programs. The logic, as explained by a government spokesperson who was clearly enjoying the irony, is that this massive new spending will create so many new, cutting-edge government roles that the old, paper-pushing jobs will become obsolete through "natural attrition." It's like trying to get rid of your junk drawer by buying a new house and hoping the junk feels too embarrassed to move in.

​Of course, the people who actually have to deal with this "efficiency" are the members of the BC General Employees' Union (BCGEU), who are currently in the midst of a strike action for higher wages. BCGEU president Paul Finch was quick to point out that the civil service isn't the cause of the deficit, and they won't be made to balance the books on the backs of their members. The union's position is that the government should be looking for savings elsewhere, perhaps by not, you know, adding billions to the debt.

​The government's plan, while full of lofty ideals and impressive-sounding targets, is a classic example of "kicking the can down the road" with a jet-pack attached. It promises to find billions in savings over the next few years, but only after spending billions more, all while saddling future generations with a mountain of debt. It's the kind of long-term thinking that suggests their long-term plan is to be out of office by the time the bill comes due.

​One of the great ironies is that while the government talks about efficiency and automation, they continue to pay for an ever-growing public service. The number of public sector employees has grown exponentially in recent years, with a significant chunk of that growth in management roles. It seems the only thing more efficient than a public servant is a public servant who manages other public servants.

​So, as the province's debt soars and the BCGEU stands firm, we're left with a government that says it's trimming the fat by serving a bigger meal.

​This video provides context on B.C.'s record deficit and its potential impact on public service jobs. B.C.'s record deficit could have impact on provincial public service jobs.

B.C.'s record deficit could have impact on provincial public service jobs