Bill S-219

2nd Session, 39th Parliament,

56-57 Elizabeth II, 2007-2008

senate of canada

BILL S-219

An Act to amend the Public Service Employment Act (elimination of bureaucratic patronage and establishment of national area of selection)

Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:

PUBLIC SERVICE EMPLOYMENT ACT

1. Subsection 22(2) of the Public Service Employment Act is amended by adding the following after paragraph (f):

(f.1) defining “bureaucratic patronage” for the purposes of subsection 30(1);

2. Subsection 30(1) of the Act is replaced by the following:

30. (1) Appointments by the Commission to or from within the public service shall be made on the basis of merit and must be free from political influence and bureaucratic patronage.

3. (1) Section 34 of the Act is amended by adding the following after subsection (2):

(3) When establishing a geographic criterion in an advertised external appointment process, the Commission shall establish a national area of selection.

(2) Subsection 34(3) of the Act, as enacted by subsection (1), does not apply to any competition or other selection or appointment process being conducted at the time that subsection comes into force.

4. Section 3 comes into force on a day, not later than July 1, 2009, to be fixed by order of the Governor in Council.