Source: http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2012/2012-09-08/html/reg2-eng.html
Timestamp: 2013-05-22 11:12:23
Document Index: 599840343

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 7', 'art 1', 'art 2', 'art 1', 'art 7', 'art 7']

ARCHIVED — Canada Gazette – Regulations Amending the Political Activities Regulations
ARCHIVED — Vol. 146, No. 36 — September 8, 2012 Regulations Amending the Political Activities Regulations
Statutory authority Public Service Employment Act Sponsoring agency Public Service Commission
The proposed Regulations Amending the Political Activities Regulations (RAPAR) would clarify certain provisions of the Political Activities Regulations (PAR) to facilitate decision-making, and would incorporate the recommendations of the Standing Joint Committee for the Scrutiny of Regulations (SJCSR) to prescribe a specific time frame to render a decision after the Public Service Commission (PSC) receives complete information from federal public service employees requesting permission to seek nomination as, or be, a candidate in a federal, provincial, territorial or municipal election or for leave without pay (LWOP), if applicable. Description and rationale
Part 7 of the Public Service Employment Act (PSEA) establishes a regime governing the political activities of employees that balances their right to engage in those activities while maintaining the principle of political impartiality in the public service. Sections 114 and 115 of the PSEA charge the PSC with rendering decisions to employees who request permission to become candidates in federal, provincial, territorial or municipal elections and for LWOP, if applicable. The PSC must be satisfied that becoming or being a candidate will not impair or be perceived as impairing the employee’s ability to perform their duties in a politically impartial manner. Sections 118 and 119 of the PSEA authorize the PSC to investigate an allegation that an employee or a deputy head has failed to comply with the political activities provisions. The PAR are divided into two parts. Part 1 prescribes how an employee who wishes to be a candidate in an election must request permission or LWOP, if applicable, from the PSC, in accordance with the requirements of subsections 114(1), (2) and (3), and section 115 of the PSEA. Part 2 provides information on the time frame for submitting allegations of improper political activities, the manner in which these allegations should be submitted (a form is prescribed), the investigations conducted under section 118 or 119 of the PSEA, and the disclosure of information obtained in the conduct of an investigation. The RAPAR would improve the clarity of the PAR and would facilitate their application:
In Part 1, the term “applicant” would be replaced with the term “employee” in the English version, and the term “demandeur” would be replaced with the term “fonctionnaire” in the French version, for consistency with the terminology of the PSEA as well as the respective enabling legislation of the six organizations whose employees are subject to Part 7 of the PSEA, namely the Canada Revenue Agency, the Parks Canada Agency, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada, the National Film Board of Canada and the Public Service Staffing Tribunal. Section 2, Content of a Request, would list which information a request for permission or LWOP must contain, and would indicate that the PSC could request additional information it deems necessary to determine whether the employee’s political activities would impair or could be perceived to impair their ability to perform their duties in a politically impartial manner. The information provided would need to be timely, relevant, detailed and comprehensive, and cover the nature of the duties performed by the employee, whether on a permanent basis (substantive position) or on a temporary basis (for example secondment, assignment, acting assignment), the level and visibility of their position and the nature of the election.
The RAPAR would come into force on the day on which they are registered. The deputy heads of the six organizations that are subject to Part 7 of the PSEA would be informed of the RAPAR by way of correspondence from the President of the PSC, which would be followed by a letter to heads of human resources, copying designated political activities representatives in each organization, which would describe the amendments to the PAR. Contact
Email: Lydie.Dancausse@psc-cfp.gc.ca PROPOSED REGULATORY TEXT
(a) with respect to the duties that the employee performs on a permanent and temporary basis, (i) the nature of their duties, including their position title,
(iv) the level and visibility of their position and duties; and (b) the nature of the election and, if applicable, the electoral district.
(a) if the allegation is sent by mail, six days after (i) the date of the postmark or the date of the postage meter impression authorized by Canada Post Corporation, or
(ii) if both the postmark and the postage meter impression appear on the envelope, the date of the later of them; (b) if the allegation is delivered by hand or by courier service, the day on which it is delivered; and