Liberal majority leaves Ottawa civil servants cautiously hopeful

After a decade of Stephen Harper holding the country's reins,public servants in Ottawa are voicing cautious optimism at the fact Justin Trudeauis poised to become Canada's next prime minister.

Trudeau's Liberals won a solid majority Monday night, taking 184 seats including all but one in the city of Ottawa and ousting a Conservative government whose relationship with federal employees was often seen as adversarial.

• Liberals take 7 of 8 Ottawa seats, vow to restore 'respect' for public service

One of those federal employees, Statistics Canada economist Mesfin Mirotchie, told CBC News Tuesday morning that he's hoping the new Liberal government will forge a "constructive relationship" with civil servants.

'It's going to be a positive'

"I believe it's going to be a positive probably different from what we have been experiencing," said Mirotchie of the decisive Liberal victory."At the end of the day, it remains to be seen. I have to wait and see."

The Conservative government clashed with public servants on a number of issues, including the 2015 budget bill, which proposed a major overhaul of federal civil servants' sick leave provisions and disability programsthat the government believed would create$900 million in savings.

Those changeswere so contentious that twelve federal public service unions filed a legal challenge to Bill C-59, claiming the budget bill violatedthe country's Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

There were also loud outcries overthe previous government'smuzzling of federal scientists, including the saga of Environment Canada scientist Tony Turner, who was placed on administrative leave after recording a protest song that urgedpeople to vote Harper out of office.

The Harper government also had plans to cut more than 19,000 public service jobs by 2015 a major blow to the Ottawa-Gatineau workforce, where about 130,000 people are employed by the federal government.

Mood 'jubilant' after election

Stacy Hird has been handing out free newspapers at Tunney's Pasture for more than eight years, and saidthe mood Tuesday morningat the government complex which houses Statistics Canada and Health Canada offices, among others was "jubliant."

"It does matter to them who's in charge. They were laid off a few years back. And I had to be here and smile through a lot of teary eyes," said Hird.

The riding of Ottawa Centre is home to Tunney's Pasture, and Liberal Catherine McKenna, who won the seat Monday night, said she heard from many unhappy public servants when she knocked on people's doors during the campaign.

Public servants provide "frank and fearless advice," said McKenna, adding that there would be a change in the general tone around labour negotiations under the new government.

'Huge issues' to tackle

"We have huge issues that we need to tackle. Putting sick leave changes in a budget is not the way to do things," she said."We're absolutely committed to collective bargaining, so we'll go back to the table and work on this."

A more "fair" approach to labour negotiations would be a major sign the Liberals are doing things differently thantheir Conservative predecessors, said Mirotchie, addinghe hoped public servants would now be"a little bit more empowered" to question the status quo.

"It doesn't necessarily mean civil servants have to get everything they ask for," Mirotchiesaid.