News release

September 29, 2003

No checks on managers; public service staffing abuses will only get worse  

OTTAWA – The findings of a Public Service Commission (PSC) audit that staffing activities at the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) were often based on connections and favouritism should not come as a surprise to anyone familiar with staffing in the federal public sector says the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC).

“It is very ironic that a report exposing multiple abuses of the staffing process is released just as the Senate is getting ready to vote on Bill C-25 – the Public Service Modernization Act ,” indicates PSAC Regional Executive Vice-President (NCR) Ed Cashman.  

“The PSC's audit reveals that staffing of positions at OPC hasn't complied with relevant legislation and that managers have been able to manipulate and tailor staffing requirements to favour specific individuals.   There are no effective checks to management abuse.”

Cashman contends this is not an isolated example.   “It's hard to believe that staffing abuses are restricted to the OPC.   The problem is that Bill C-25 is going to give managers even more discretion in the hiring process and will effectively legalize the current abuses and favouritism.”

“The report also highlights the need for effective whistleblowing legislation,” says Cashman.   “The PSC audit states that the current policy is not an effective mechanism to address wrongdoing in staffing.   Bill C-25 only refers to a policy which has already been shown to be ineffective.”

Relying on the Public Service Commission to clean up staffing abuses is a mistake, according to Lynn Ray, National President of the PSAC's Union of Solicitor General Employees (USGE).   “Our Local talked to the Commission about the staffing problems at OPC in early 2002.   However, it wasn't until George Radwanski's resignation in June 2003 that the PSC revoked OPC's staffing authority.   The PSC did nothing to protect the staffing process or OPC employees.”

“The Commission has indicated that there will be investigations into a number of staffing actions at OPC,” says Ray.   “We intend to work closely with the Interim Commissioner to minimize any negative impact on our members, some of whom who may be in positions which were inappropriately staffed, through no fault of their own. We want to make the OPC a healthy workplace and one which can effectively carry out its mandate to protect Canadians' privacy rights.”

It's time for the government to take a long hard look at the ethics and values of management in the federal public sector, concludes Cashman.   “Senior managers knew of wrongdoing at the OPC and said nothing. They broke the staffing rules.   At the same time they all received their performance bonuses.   It's time to stop rewarding bad behaviour.”

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For information: Ed Cashman, PSAC Regional Executive Vice-President
                            (National Capital Region) (613) 560-4380

                            Lynn Ray, National President, USGE,
                            (613) 232-4821,ext.231