Defence Department to Cut 2,100 Civilian Jobs

Cuts at DND could foretell what's in store for the rest of the public service as the Tories tackle the deficit.

About 2,100 civilian positions with the Department of National Defence will be phased out after the employees retire in coming years, giving a hint of how the federal public service will be trimmed to battle the deficit. DND documents signed off by senior military brass also show plans to cut the number of consultants by five per cent each year to lower the department's spending. Treasury Board President Tony Clement has been charged with bringing the government's books back into the black by 2015-16,, and what few details he's released so far point to doing so through attrition – not hiring people to replace the thousands of public servants set to retire in the next few years.