The union representing Canada's border guards says budget cuts are at odds with the Conservative government's tough-on-crime agenda.

Union president Jean-Pierre Fortin says even as the Tories pledge to crack down on gangs and child pornography, they're laying off the very people who police those activities at the border.

Fortin says as a result of the federal budget, more than 1,300 people at the Canada Border Services Agency are losing their jobs, including front line agents.

He says the layoffs also include intelligence officers who gather the data needed to keep the border secure.

The cuts will be felt across the country, with the Pacific, Prairie and Quebec offices each losing over 100 people.

A spokeswoman for Public Safety Minister Vic Toews says the government is not cutting officers who deal with legitimate trade and travel, but is trying to make the border more efficient.

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