Canadian Forces Veterans Should get Priority
When Entering Federal Public Service

Canadian Forces veterans should have priority status to enter the federal public service after serving in special duty tours, says P.E.I. Liberal Senator Percy Downe.

"People who risk their lives to serve the country who want to join the public service after should have the opportunity to do so," Sen. Downe said last week, after introducing a private member's bill in the Senate on the subject. "The government should follow its positive words about the military and Canada's veterans with concrete action."

The Public Service Employment Regulations currently state that Canadian Forces members who are medically discharged are given priority status when entering the public service. Sen. Downe said that his bill would amend this rule to allow all CF members who have "ceased to be employed by the Forces, to be appointed in priority to all other persons to a position in the Federal Public Service, for which--in the opinion of the Public Service Commission--the person is qualified."

This amendment would be identical to the priority status that political staffers currently have after working as a political aide on the Hill for at least three years.

The Conservative government tabled its Federal Accountability Act last Tuesday outlining changes to the priority status of political staffers. If passed, the rules would be changed so that political staffers are not automatically "parachuted" into civil servant jobs. The new rule states that political staffers will be able to apply for internal competitions rather than being appointed automatically to a job.

Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre (Nepean-Carleton, Ont.) said last week that Sen. Downe's proposals are interesting. "I hope that I'll get a chance to study his bill and consider how it can be implemented and maybe it will be something that Conservatives will be open minded to," he said, adding that it's different from the rules for political staffers. "The Federal Accountability Act aims to avoid political preferences and political favouritism in the public service so I don't think the Senator's proposals would necessarily have a particular conflict with the Accountability Act."

Sen. Downe said this stipulation is important for CF veterans because the average retirement age for CF members is 36. "Thirty-six is a very young age, and after such service to Canada, I believe we have an obligation to these veterans," he said. "In some cases, individual veterans may not want to enter the public service, and in those cases, I think we need to do more to ensure that appropriate levels of targeted transitional assistance are available."

While the Public Service Commission could not confirm how many public servants who had priority status came from the ranks of the Canadian Forces, as of data from the last three years from the PSC, 113 appointments were made by priority status. In 2004-2005, 21 appointments were to the Department of National Defence and the RCMP.