Public Service Poison Pill (en francais)

This has always been a pet peeve of mine and a policy that needs to be changed. Political staffers have preferential, priority status on any Public Service openings.

Fears raised for impartial public service
Ministers' staff get jobs in sections where they used to play political role offical says

Globe and Mail
By BILL CURRY
Friday, October 7, 2005

Commission President Maria Barrados said in her annual report to Parliament yesterday that 35 staffers, all Liberals, received government jobs in the past fiscal year through the program. The report said a large number of staff lost their jobs when several ministers in Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's Cabinet retired or were demoted by his successor, Paul Martin.

The report found 46.5 per cent of those who used the program ended up in the same department where they once worked as ministerial staff.

Ms. Barrados said moving into the same department creates the potential for political interference.

"The greater risk and what we are concerned about is the Public Service Commission is charged with maintaining a meritorious and politically impartial public service and when you have people moving from political offices, there is a greater risk that you might be compromising non-partisanship," she said. "I think when you have somebody going to the same department where they were holding a political position, I think you have an increased risk."

One of the most publicized jobs awarded under the program involved Pierre Tremblay, chief of staff to then-public works minister Alfonso Gagliano. Mr. Tremblay received a priority appointment at Public Works to replace Chuck Guité, the bureaucrat who ran the sponsorship program that is now the subject of a public inquiry

The recent announcement that as of April 1st 2006, Public Service jobs will be open to all Canadians regardless of where they live is a long overdue change. The preferential hire priority for political staffers needs to be revoked in order to make Public Service jobs a truly open and fair competition.