Patrick Borbey President of the Public Service Commission of Canada / Appearance at the Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology - May 13, 2021

Meeting Detail
Speaking Notes for the President

Proposed amendments to the Public Service Employment Act

Questions and answers
OCHRO questions and answers on proposed amendments to the PSEA

Questions and answers - Audit of Employment Equity Representation in Recruitment

Media specific

Data and statistics - Summaries
Other Reports and Studies - Summaries

Data and statistics - Summaries
Official Languages

D&I Initiatives Update

Diverse Selection Boards

D&I Regulatory Proposal
Summary of targeted programs

Assessment Methods Cheat Sheet
Members Profile Senate Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology

In the news - Revue de presse
Footnotes

Meeting Detail

Meeting Schedule 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session - 560003 (sencanada.ca)

Speaking Notes for the President

Opening Remarks for Patrick Borbey President of the Public Service Commission of Canada to the Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology during its study of Section 34 of Bill C-33

May 13, 2020 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

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Introduction

Madame Chair, thank you for inviting me to appear before the Committee. I want to begin by acknowledging that I am on the unceded traditional territory of the Algonquin Anishinabeg people.

I am pleased to have in attendance with me: Gaveen Cadotte, Vice-President, Policy and Communications; Michael Morin, Director General, Policy and Strategic Directions; Robert McSheffrey, Director General, Personnel Psychology Centre; and Sharon Messerschmidt, Director General, Audit.

The PSC is responsible for promoting and safeguarding a merit-based, representative and non-partisan public service that serves all Canadians. We report independently to Parliament on our mandate.

The PSC has a strong commitment towards diversity and inclusion in the public service. While we continue to make progress, it has been too slow. We must do more.

All candidates applying to jobs should have an equal opportunity to highlight their unique talents. Unfortunately, that may not be the case. The public service must go further in making our own institutions free of systemic barriers and bias. For the PSC, that means that we need to look at the appointment process.

In January, we published an Audit of Employment Equity Representation in Recruitment in the federal public service. Our audit showed that employment equity groups did not remain proportionately represented throughout the recruitment process.

In fact, the representation rate of Indigenous peoples, members of visible minorities and persons with disabilities, decreased disproportionately at different stages of the recruitment process.

The representation rate of Black candidates decreased more than the rates of other visible minority groups.

Our recent studies on promotion rates within the public service have also demonstrated adverse outcomes for members of the same employment equity groups.

In response to these findings, the PSC is taking actions. We will soon be making unconscious bias training a requirement for all hiring managers and we are working on ways to increase diversity on interview boards. We are also enhancing our guidance on barrier-free recruitment methods and building expertise on assessment accommodations within departments.

The PSC is also advancing diversity and inclusion through other initiatives such as our targeted student and graduate recruitment programs as well as the Federal Internship Program for Canadians with Disabilities. We will continue to conduct audits and research to identify barriers and appropriate solutions to mitigate them.

Our audit was a call to action and we are pleased to see additional efforts to increase representation of equity-seeking groups.

We believe that the proposed amendments, along with other measures that the PSC, the Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer and other departments and agencies are taking, will address barriers to diversity and help make staffing more inclusive. It will bring lasting change and lead to a public service that is more representative of the people it serves across the country.

For example, changing the hiring preference to include permanent residents will have an immediate positive impact on the hiring of qualified visible minorities and provide us access to a broader pool of talent. The change to our investigation authorities will provide a new avenue for those who feel they have been denied a position because of racism or discrimination. And the expansion of our audit powers will allow us to continue to provide evidence to ground new policies and programs in diversity hiring.

In developing and implementing these initiatives, we will work with departments, bargaining agents and employment-equity seeking groups. Collaboration with all stakeholders will be key to the success of these initiatives.

Conclusion

These amendments to the Public Service Employment Act, if adopted, will help address some of the biases and barriers that equity-seeking groups may face throughout the recruitment process, and throughout their career.

In cooperation with our partners, we are looking forward to advancing these efforts which will help us foster a more diverse and inclusive public service.

I am pleased to answer your questions.

Thank you.

Proposed amendments to the Public Service Employment Act

Public Service Commission

Amending the Public Service Employment Act

Issue

The Government of Canada is proposing amendments to the Public Service Employment Act to affirm the importance of a diverse and inclusive workforce and reduce bias and barriers that disadvantage equity-seeking groups in appointment processes in the federal public service.

These amendments were contained in the Budget Implementation Act (BIA), tabled on April 30, 2021.

Questions and answers

What is the PSC's role in implementing these changes?

The PSC is responsible for promoting and safeguarding a merit-based, representative and non-partisan public service that serves all Canadians, in collaboration with stakeholders. The PSC is also responsible for ensuring that appointment of persons to, or from within, the public service is done in accordance with the Public Service Employment Act (PSEA). Regarding these amendments, the PSC will:

develop policy and tools to ensure that assessment methods are evaluated for bias and barriers
be able to investigate error, omission or improper conduct resulting from bias or barriers in staffing that disadvantages persons in equity-seeking groups.
include bias and barriers that disadvantage persons in equity-seeking groups in the scope of our audits
ensure that permanent residents of Canada benefit from the same hiring preference as Canadian citizens. It will modify its systems and tools accordingly.

What are equity-seeking groups?

Equity-seeking groups are communities described in the Canadian Human Rights Act that experience collective barriers in participating in society, based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or disability.

What impacts will these changes have on assessment methods used in appointment processes?

The PSC will leverage our expertise to evaluate whether assessment methods may contain barriers or bias
The PSC will offer guidance and tools to assist hiring managers in applying assessment methods
This will complement work already underway, such as the implementation of mandatory training on unconscious bias.

What will change for managers?

Managers will benefit from having better access to candidates of various perspectives, experience, talents and diversity. This will result in a public service that better reflects the population we serve.
They will also have a broader candidate pool to consider, which means increased access to talent.
Managers will also have to examine their assessment methods and how they will be applied and take steps to eliminate or mitigate any potential bias and barriers.

What will change for applicants?

Applicants should see a more inclusive process. For example, they may see interview processes that are culturally sensitive, exams that are designed to reduce the need for accommodation requests, and screening that does not exclude candidates unnecessarily (e.g. recent experience).
Permanent residents who are applicants to job postings open to the public will benefit from the same hiring preference as Canadian citizens.
Also, candidates will now be able to request an investigation by the PSC or Deputy Heads should they believe that there was bias or barriers that disadvantaged them in the staffing process.

Can you explain how investigations will differ in the future?

If a candidate feels that there was an error, omission or improper conduct in an appointment process, they can file a request for investigation to the PSC in a case of an external hiring process, or to the Deputy Head responsible for the internal hiring process.
With the legislative changes, investigations of error, omission or improper conduct will also look at bias and barriers that disadvantage equity-seeking groups.
For founded investigations into external processes under the PSC’s mandate, the PSC will be able to order corrective action to specifically address and eliminate the impact of bias and barriers on the appointment process.

Can you explain how audits will differ in the future?

The PSC can already conduct audits on any matter within its jurisdiction, including systemic issues related to staffing. Recently, the PSC published its report following its Audit of Employment Equity Representation in Recruitment that found that employment equity groups did not remain proportionately represented throughout the recruitment process.
The findings from our first audit on diversity and inclusion and staffing point to the need for more regular audits to do deeper dives into the problem and to track progress made by PSEA organizations.
The legislative changes reinforce our ability to conduct audits on bias and barriers and expand the scope to include all equity-seeking groups.

Do you feel these changes to oversight do enough to address concerns?

These changes are important, and they strengthen and better define the oversight role of PSC with respect to bias and barriers that disadvantage equity seeking groups.
Changes to oversight are one part of the measures that will collectively contribute to reducing bias and barriers that disadvantage equity-seeking groups in appointment processes in the federal public service.
The PSC also conducts surveys and studies to help identify and address issues in the hiring process.
Results of these oversight activities help the PSC make necessary changes to hiring policies and programs to address bias and barriers.

We already have a Canadian Human Rights Commission, so what’s new here? How does this differ?

Legislation is meant to work in complementary fashion and the changes to the PSEA will be applied in a complementary way.
It is important for a candidate to be able to file a complaint to the Canadian Human Rights Commission if they feel there was discrimination.
The legislative changes aim in part to avoid the need for recourse by addressing up front potential barriers and bias by including additional responsibilities for hiring managers and the PSC to eliminate or mitigate any potential biases and barriers in hiring process.

Why now? Why not sooner?

Legislative changes are the prerogative of the government. That question would be better asked to the President of the Treasury Board.
However, the PSC was undertaking work prior to these amendments to identify and address bias and barriers in staffing.
For example, we undertook an audit of EE in recruitment, we have been co-developing recruitment programs with various partners, we have established a network to ensure appropriate accommodation measures are provided in assessing candidates, and we are implementing mandatory unconscious bias training for all hiring managers.

The GC said previously it wanted to reduce time to staff. If hiring managers will have new processes around hiring, won't this have the opposite effect?

The new requirement on assessment will impact the hiring process and could result in an increased time to staff. But this is exactly where we need managers to take the necessary time. It is therefore critical that we streamline and avoid undue delays in the rest of the process.
The PSC will continue to monitor the length of staffing processes and will report on it.

Will you consult before implementing these changes?

Yes, the PSC is committed to working with its partners, equity-seeking groups, bargaining agents and others to update its policies and develop guidance and tools.

Will departments have clear and timely guidance from the PSC on how to implement these changes?

Yes, the PSC will provide tools and guidance to hiring managers and HR professionals, to ensure they can effectively implement these changes.
For example, the PSC recently issued new guidance in response to the findings of its Audit of Employment Equity Representation in Recruitment.

How will you make sure that managers implement these changes properly? And what happens if they don’t?

The PSC will work closely with partners including with Deputy Heads, who have delegated responsibility for staffing, in implementing these changes.
The PSC will use its oversight function, including additional audits and studies, to ensure that hiring managers are accountable in implementing these legislative changes and that they lead to improved outcomes for equity-seeking groups.

These changes will introduce a definition of equity-seeking groups which is much wider than the designated employment equity groups. Will this dilute the effect of these measures in addressing concerns raised in the context of the Anti-Black Racism movement / Anti-Asian Hate, / discrimination against Persons with Disabilities / other?

These changes will help eliminate barriers for all equity-seeking applicants.

What will be the effects on the merit principle?

The merit principle will continue to apply to all appointments.
Only when bias and barriers have been removed and all candidates are on a level playing field can we be assured that merit is truly observed in the appointment process.

Could the amendments give an advantage to members of equity-seeking groups over other candidates?

The purpose of the amendments is to level the playing field by eliminating or mitigating any potential biases and barriers in hiring process, so that all applicants have an equal opportunity to demonstrate merit and showcase their unique talents.
Deputy Heads have a responsibility to ensure that their workforce represents the population they serve. As such, they must take deliberate action to address gaps in representation in their organizations.

Will these changes have an impact on Canadian citizens having difficulties joining the federal public service?

These amendments aim at giving all applicants an equal opportunity to demonstrate merit and showcase their unique talents when applying to a job.
Having a diverse talent pool will result in a public service that better reflects the population we serve.

[If pressed on whether the PSC supports the change regarding permanent residents:]

The PSC has drawn attention in its audit to the systemic barrier imposed by the requirement for citizenship. The audit found that the organizational screening stage of the recruitment process impacted visible minorities, with Black applicants experiencing the largest drop in representation among sub-groups.
One of the contributing factors to this was the preference for Canadian citizens as specified in the Public Service Employment Act. Because a greater proportion of visible minorities are non-citizens, this meant that visible minorities were screened out more often than non-visible minorities on citizenship.
We support this change as a means of addressing that systemic barrier, which disproportionately affects applicants from equity-seeking groups.
This also makes sense in a competitive labour market where we want to attract the best and the brightest to the public service.

Is there a conflict between safeguarding bilingualism and advancing diversity?

No. Official languages requirements for a position are part of merit and must be met. Approximately 40% of public positions require a level of proficiency in both official languages.
The PSC will assess second language evaluations to ensure they are free of bias and barriers, as required in the proposed amendments.
Official Languages are an integral part of Canada’s diversity. Support for equity-seeking group members learning official languages could be addressed by access to language training, increased use of both official languages by senior leaders, and work and supervision in one’s first official language.

Will the PSC also look at the second language tests to ensure they are free from barriers and bias?

Yes, the PSC will evaluate the assessment methods used in second language evaluation and how they are administered to ensure that they do not pose barriers or are biased to ensure that equity-seeking groups are fairly assessed.

Will these changes address inequity toward EE sub-groups?

These amendments aim at giving all applicants an equal opportunity to demonstrate merit and showcase their unique talents when applying to a job.
But they must be supported by the right policies, programs and practices to address bias and barriers on the workplace and in the hiring process. These include targeted recruitment programs and mandatory training for hiring managers.

Will you need more resources to implement these changes?

Yes, the PSC will need additional resources to develop new policies and tools, to review assessment methods, and to conduct additional audits and investigations.
In particular, strong and modern recruitment and assessment systems will be needed to support these changes.
The PSC’s current recruitment and assessment systems are antiquated and need to be modernized in order to meet these expectations, along with the other needs of candidates, hiring managers and HR professionals.

When will these amendments be in effect?

The addition of permanent residents to the appointment preference in external advertised processes will take effect in staffing processes that are initiated after the Act comes into force.
Audit amendments comes into force with the act.
For assessment method evaluations, there will be a transition period to permit the PSC and federal organizations to implement the changes.
There will also be a transition period for the provision related to investigations to allow the PSC to properly implement the changes, including hiring and training additional staff.
We will immediately begin work on policy, guidance and tools to implement these changes. The PSC will take the necessary time to consult equity-seeking groups, bargaining agents and other partners and include their feedback in the development and implementation of these changes.
Finally, it is important to ensure that HR professionals and hiring managers are equipped to implement these changes.

Do you think these changes go far enough to remove bias and barriers?

These changes are an important part of the overall solution to remove bias and barriers for equity seeking group members in the appointment process.
In addition to these changes, the PSC has already taken action to increase diversity and inclusion. For example, we are:

making unconscious bias training a requirement for all hiring managers
exploring ways to make diverse interview boards the norm in hiring
expanding our Assessment Accessibility Ambassador network to share our expertise and build capacity within departments
consulting with employment equity groups to identify issues and find long term solutions as a result of the EE audit
exploring a regulatory proposal that would better support departmental initiatives to target the hiring of members of equity-seeking groups
providing guidance and tools for hiring managers to support inclusive hiring, including our Inclusive Appointment Lens for managers
supporting government-wide recruitment efforts, such as our targeted student programs, the Federal Internship Program for Canadians with Disabilities, and newly launched inventories for persons with disabilities

Bargaining Agents have raised non-advertised processes as a barrier for equity-seeking groups. Can you comment?

Since the implementation of a new staffing framework in 2015, the PSC has noted a steady increase in the use of non-advertised processes.
Non-advertised processes can be used in a range of situations, such as student bridging, targeted hiring of employment equity group members, emergency needs such as the response to the pandemic, promotions for participants in a development program, the use of inventories of qualified candidates established by other departments.
The PSC is actively monitoring the increased use of non-advertised processes. We have examined the impact on employment equity groups. The analysis reveals that the increase in non-advertised appointments has had no detrimental effect on these groups. In fact, the representation of women and members of visible minorities in non-advertised appointments has increased, while the representation of Indigenous people and persons with disabilities has remained stable.
It is important to note that all staffing processes, whether advertised or non-advertised, must respect merit i.e. individuals must be qualified.

Are there systemic barriers and biases in the public service?

It is a priority of the PSC to take measures to advance diversity, equity and inclusion through appointment-related initiatives. All candidates applying to public service jobs should have an equal opportunity to highlight their unique talents. Unfortunately, that may not yet be the case.
In January, we published the Audit of Employment Equity Representation in Recruitment in the federal public service. Our audit showed that employment equity groups did not remain proportionately represented throughout the recruitment process.
In fact, the representation rate of Indigenous people, members of visible minorities and persons with disabilities, decreased disproportionately at different stages of the recruitment process.
The representation rate of Black candidates also decreased more than the rates of other visible minority groups.
These results clearly show that work is needed to identify potential biases and barriers and remove them.

What is the PSC doing to address the need for disaggregated EE data?

The PSC has put in place various initiatives to address the issue, such as:

The PSC’s annual report is now reporting on Employment Equity Visible Minority subgroups
Creation of the PSC Employment Equity Research (PEER) Working Group to seek EE stakeholder’s input on Visible Minority subgroups analysis. The Federal Black Employees Caucus is an active member of this working group.
Released a report on Perceptions of EE groups and subgroups, based on the 2018 Survey of Non-Partisanship in Staffing (SNPS), and added questions in the 2021 SNPS questionnaire to allow for further analysis of barriers facing EE groups and sub-groups
Evolve its macrosimulation model to project EE representation
Performed various analysis with an emphasis on EE sub-groups and intersectionality, namely:
Employment Equity Promotion Rate Study for Visible Minority subgroups
Published the Audit of Employment Equity Representation in Recruitment which includes the analysis at the subgroup level.

OCHRO questions and answers on proposed amendments to the PSEA

OCHRO

Questions and Answers for Stakeholders and the Public on Amending the Public Service Employment Act

General – All Publics

Why is the government amending the public service employment act now?

We cannot ignore that bias, barriers, and discrimination are an everyday reality for Black Canadians, Indigenous peoples and many others based on their race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, and disability, among others. Even though the public service has long made diversity and inclusion a core value and there has been progress, like in other institutions, more needs to be done. To this end, we must take deliberate and continual steps to remove systemic discrimination from our institutions and from our culture, addressing all forms of such oppression, challenging biases, and empowering employees.
In October, the Speech from the Throne announced an action plan to increase representation and leadership development in the public service. The Federal Economic Statement committed $12 million over three years towards these goals. Areas of focus will be on generating and publishing better data, increasing diversity in senior leaders, ensuring appropriate benchmarks, addressing systemic barriers and education and awareness.
As part of these efforts, following consultations with employee diversity networks, bargaining agents and departmental Senior Officials for Employment Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Budget 2021 has announced the Government’s intention to propose amendments to the Public Service Employment Act to reaffirm the importance of a diverse and inclusive workforce and to strengthen provisions to address potential bias and barriers in the staffing processes.

What is the current situation of representation in Canada’s public service?

There has been some progress to date. For example, there have been steady increases over the last 10 years in the representation of members of visible minorities from 10.7% in 2010 to 17.8% in 2020, and the representation of women, Indigenous Peoples and members of visible minorities currently meet workforce availability.
Although results such as this are encouraging, many issues remain, with certain groups underrepresented in senior positions, such as Black employees, and for other groups, the picture has been less rosy, for example the representation of persons with disabilities fell from 5.7 % in 2010 to 5.2% in 2019 and 2020.
This data highlights the need for action in improving the public service’s staffing system, along with other focused initiatives to encourage and support diversity and inclusion in all areas and at all levels of the public service.

Why not wait until the Employment Equity Act review is completed to amend both the EEA and the PSEA?

The Employment Equity Act review is an important initiative with broader application, which will consider complex issues important for the public service, such as the designation of specific groups. That said, stakeholders are keen to see concrete change, and there are key amendments that can be made now to address bias and barriers in staffing. Further changes to align with the outcome of the Employment Equity Act review can still be pursued later.

Is this initiative everything you are doing to improve the diversity of the public service?

The work of eradicating bias, barriers, and discrimination, which have taken root over generations, demands an ongoing, relentless effort. The Government is committed to this effort, using all available levers to improve the lived experience of public servants and those who wish to join the public service, to ensure that they are able to realize their full potential, contributing to the lives of all people across Canada.
The President of the Treasury Board has identified key priorities for the diversity and inclusion strategy:

generating and publishing disaggregated data for a more accurate picture of representation gaps,
increasing the diversity of senior leaders of the public service,
ensuring appropriate benchmarks,
addressing systemic barriers; and,
engagement and education.

Addressing systemic barriers, beginning with staffing processes, is critical to the larger culture change underway. These foundational amendments will support this transformation and serve as a clear signal of this Government’s commitment to a diverse and inclusive public service.

What else is the Government doing to improve Diversity and Inclusion in the public service?

The public service has long made diversity and inclusion a core value but while there has been progress, too many public servants continue to face obstacles.
In January, the President of the Treasury Board, the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, along with Greg Fergus, Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board, announced the government’s priorities to foster greater diversity, inclusion and accessibility in the public service.
Since then, TBS has engaged public servants from equity-seeking groups to help co-develop initiatives to address barriers and create a culture change towards greater diversity and inclusion. They have also held discussions with key departments, employee networks, bargaining agents and departmental Senior Officials for Employment Equity, Diversity and Inclusion to understand the experiences of members of Employment Equity and equity-seeking groups in staffing, and identified issues related to the Public Service Employment Act.
Significant progress to note:
1. Generating and publishing data for a more accurate picture of representation gaps:
2. Increasing the diversity of the senior leaders of the public service
3. Ensuring appropriate benchmarks
4. Addressing systemic barriers
5. Education and Awareness

Will these amendments apply to all hiring processes?

The change to the citizenship preference will only apply to external advertised processes because that is the only type of process for which the preference applies. The other amendments will apply to all internal and external staffing processes under the Public Service Employment Act.

What engagement and consultation has been undertaken in developing the proposal?

In order to understand the experience of members of employment equity and equity-seeking groups in staffing processes, officials of the Treasury Board Secretariat held consultation sessions with employee diversity networks, bargaining agents, and Senior Officials for Employment Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. Three specific sessions were held:

Federal employee diversity networks (Federal Black Employees, Black Executives Network, Knowledge Circle of Indigenous Employees, Public Service Pride, Visible Minorities Champions & Chairs Committee, Persons with Disabilities Champions & Chairs Committee, Federal Youth Network, Informal Women's Network (STEM), Positive Space Initiative Ambassadors)
Bargaining agents and their representatives on the Joint Employment Equity Council, and
Senior Officials for Employment Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.

These consultations were augmented with the recommendations from several reports, including the Report of the Joint Union/Management Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion and the Many Voices One Mind - Report of the Interdepartmental Circles on Indigenous Representation as well as the Public Service Commission’s Audit of Employment Equity Representation in Recruitment.
Treasury Board Secretariat officials also worked closely with the Public Service Commission on staffing issues, Labour Canada on issues related to the Employment Equity Act and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada on the appointment preference for Canadian citizens.

Could these changes be achieved through adjustments to policies?

While some of these changes may be undertaken through policy revisions without legislative changes; adding audit and investigation powers to examine bias and barriers, expanding the preference for citizens to include permanent residents and making a commitment to diversity in the preamble would not.
That said, enshrining all these elements in legislation will create requirements for those administering the Public Service Employment Act to take concrete action to increase diversity and inclusion, while relying on policies may not assure the same levels of consistency and accountability.

Merit vs Diversity

Will these changes dilute the merit principle that governs appointments in the public service?

Not only will these changes not dilute the merit principle, they will allow it to be more perfectly realized by addressing bias and barriers preventing the full participation of equity-seeking groups in the public service.

Could the amendments give an advantage to members of equity-seeking groups over other candidates?

The amendments will not give an advantage to equity-seeking groups but will address bias and barriers preventing the full participation of equity-seeking groups in the public service.

What federal organizations are subject to the PSEA?

Over 80 organizations are subject to the PSEA.
List of Federal Organizations subject to the PSEA

The deputy heads listed below have been delegated appointment and appointment-related authorities by the Public Service Commission and are subject to the terms and conditions of the Appointment Delegation and Accountability Instrument:

Accessibility Standards Canada, Chief Executive Officer
Administrative Tribunals Support Service of Canada, Chief Administrator
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Deputy Minister
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, President
Canada Border Services Agency, President
Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, President
Canada Energy Regulator, Chief Executive Officer
Canada School of Public Service, President
Canadian Grain Commission, Chief Commissioner
Canadian Heritage, Deputy Minister
Canadian Human Rights Commission, Chief Commissioner
Canadian Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat, Secretary
Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, President
Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, Chairperson
Canadian Space Agency, President
Canadian Transportation Agency, Chairperson
Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP, Chairperson
Copyright Board Canada, Vice-chair
Correctional Service Canada, Commissioner of Corrections
Courts Administration Service, Chief Administrator
Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, Deputy Minister
Department of Finance Canada, Deputy Minister
Department of Justice Canada, Deputy Minister
Director of Soldier Settlement, Deputy Minister
Employment and Social Development Canada, Deputy Minister
Energy Supplies Allocation Board, Deputy Minister
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Deputy Minister
RCMP External Review Committee, Chairman
Farm Products Council of Canada, Chairman
Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, President
Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, Commissioner
Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Deputy Minister
Global Affairs Canada, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
Health Canada, Deputy Minister
Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Chairperson
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Deputy Minister
Impact Assessment Agency of Canada, President
Indian Oil and Gas Canada, Deputy Minister of Indigenous Services Canada
Indigenous Services Canada, Deputy Minister
Infrastructure Canada, Deputy Head
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, Deputy Minister
International Joint Commission (Canadian Section), Chairman
Library and Archives Canada, Librarian and Archivist of Canada
Military Grievances External Review Committee, Chairperson
Military Police Complaints Commission of Canada, Chairperson
National Defence, Deputy Minister
Natural Resources Canada, Deputy Minister
Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Chief Electoral Officer
Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs Canada, Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs
Office of the Auditor General ^{Footnote 1}
Office of the Commissioner of Canada Elections, Commissioner of Canada Elections
Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada, Commissioner of Lobbying
Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, Commissioner
Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada, Information Commissioner
Office of the Privacy Commissioners of Canada, Privacy Commissioner
Office of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner of Canada, Commissioner
Office of the Secretary to the Governor General, Secretary to the Governor General
Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy Canada, Deputy Minister
Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions Canada, Superintendent
Parole Board of Canada, Chairperson
Patented Medicine Prices Review Board Canada, Chairperson
Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration, Deputy Minister
Privy Council Office, Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet
Public Health Agency of Canada, President
Public Prosecution Service of Canada, Director of Public Prosecutions
Public Safety Canada, Deputy Minister
Public Service Commission of Canada, President
Public Services and Procurement Canada, Deputy Minister
Registrar of the Supreme Court of Canada, Registrar
Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Commissioner
Secretariat of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians
Shared Services Canada, President
Statistics Canada, Chief Statistician
The Correctional Investigator Canada, Correctional Investigator
The Director, The Veterans' Land Act, Deputy Minister
Transport Canada, Deputy Minister
Transportation Safety Board of Canada, Chairperson
Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, Secretary
Veterans Affairs Canada, Deputy Minister
Veterans Review and Appeal Board, Chairperson
Western Economic Diversification Canada, Deputy Minister
Women and Gender Equality Canada, Deputy Minister

The Amendments

Preamble

Why amend the preamble? Doesn’t it already refer to a diverse public service?

While the current preamble recognizes the value of diversity, the amendment would add an explicit commitment to a public service that is inclusive and diverse.
The amendment would therefore assert that diversity and inclusion are not secondary considerations, but part of the purpose of the Act and goals in the hiring process.

Qualification Standards

Why do we need an amendment regarding qualification standards?

Qualification Standards set minimum requirements including related to education, professional certification, and official languages.
The amendment would require an evaluation of biases and barriers for members of equity-seeking groups when qualification standards are designed or reviewed, coupled by reasonable efforts to remove or mitigate them.
For example, a university degree may be a barrier for some Indigenous people living in remote communities, as they may not have had the same access to higher education. An evaluation of a qualification standard that requires a post-secondary degree might consider whether this is a bona fide requirement for operational or safety reasons, and if it is not, the Employer would make reasonable efforts to remove or mitigate the barrier, possibly by setting an alternative requirement.
Responsive: although this is a new legislative requirement specific to bias and barriers for equity-seeking groups, previous reviews have taken general barriers to employment into account. For example, the last comprehensive review of the qualification standards done in 2013 validated the educational and occupational certification requirements for most of the existing standards, modernized language, and removed obsolete requirements to be more inclusive. More recently, the qualification standard for the Commerce (CO) group was updated to include flexibility by allowing an alternative to post-secondary education. This would allow, for example, candidates from Indigenous and remote communities greater opportunity to apply.

When and how will qualification standards be reviewed?

Qualification standards are reviewed by the Employer as required. For its part, Treasury Board Secretariat will work with members of equity-seeking groups and bargaining agents and other government stakeholders to determine how the evaluation for bias and barriers will be put into practice.

Assessments

Why do we need an amendment of assessment methods?

The Public Service Commission (and, in practice, delegated hiring managers) can evaluate candidates through a range of methods such as tests, interviews, and reference checks, etc.
The PSC’s Audit of Employment Equity Representation in Recruitment found that EE groups did not remain proportionately represented throughout the recruitment process. Indigenous candidates experienced less success in interviews, members of visible minorities (especially Black applicants) experienced less success in written tests, and Indigenous people, members of visible minorities, and persons with disabilities experienced less success at the stage of reference checks.
The requirement to evaluate assessment methods will ensure the consideration of potential biases and barriers for members of equity-seeking groups and reasonable efforts to remove or mitigate these. The Public Service Commission will work with stakeholders to put this into practice.

Will the requirement for assessment methods to be evaluated for biases and barriers lengthen the time to staff?

Having staffing processes that are as free of bias and barriers as possible is critical, all applicants should have a fair chance to showcase their talent. The PSC will develop processes and tools to mitigate the risk to time to staff.

Audits & Investigations

Why do we need an amendment in relation to Audits and Investigations?

While the Act currently includes audit and investigation authorities, it does not provide explicitly for these to include examination of bias and barriers which disadvantage equity-seeking groups. The amendments would add these explicitly.
For investigations, these authorities would apply to both the PSC for external processes and deputy heads for internal processes.
(PSC to answer more detailed questions)

Some public servants have expressed a reluctance to file a complaint regarding a staffing action due to a fear of reprisal. What mechanisms are there to provide protection from reprisal for people who file complaints with the PSC?

A key principle of the public service code includes respect for people which means that “treating all people with respect, dignity and fairness is fundamental to our relationship with the Canadian public and contributes to a safe and healthy work environment that promotes engagement, openness and transparency….”
While we strive to create a culture in which people feel they can come forward without fear of reprisal, we must acknowledge that some people express concerns about this.
One way this is addressed is that the Public Service Commission accepts anonymous requests for investigations.
Furthermore, under the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act, any public servant who discloses a wrongdoing, including irregularities in staffing under the Public Service Employment Act, is protected from reprisal.
If a public servant believes that they have been the victim of reprisal for having made a complaint to the Public Service Commission or the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board, they can make a complaint to the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner, who is an independent agent of Parliament with the power to investigate.

Will there be overlap of authority among the Public Service Commission, the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board or the Canadian Human Rights Commission?

These amendments will not change the fundamental mandates of the PSC, the FPSLREB or the CHRC.
The PSC will continue to have audit and investigative powers with respect to staffing. That authority will now explicitly include the power to investigate errors or omissions resulting from bias and barriers occurred in a process.
The FPSLREB will continue to have authority to hear complaints filed under the PSEA to determine if there has been an abuse of authority by a deputy head or the PSC. The Board’s authority to determine whether an abuse of authority occurred in a staffing process includes the authority to determine whether discrimination occurred, and to award damages on that basis.
The Canadian Human Rights Commission has authority under the Canadian Human Rights Act to investigate complaints of discriminatory practices or policies related to employment.
The CHRC can choose not to deal with a complaint if it is of the opinion that the complaint is better dealt with pursuant to another act of Parliament (such as the PSEA) or until after a grievance process has been exhausted. Therefore, it does not typically deal with complaints that are already being dealt with by the PSC or FPSLREB.
The amendments are intended to make processes more equitable and therefore hopefully less likely to be challenged.

Citizenship

What is the impact of the amendment to the preference for Canadian citizens?

The Act currently gives preference to Canadian citizens in external advertised processes—an important entry point to the public service, representing 45% of all advertised processes. If one qualified candidate is a citizen and another is not, the citizen would be appointed. The amendment would expand the preference to include permanent residents, addressing a barrier for members of visible minority groups.
Members of visible minority groups make up to 17.4% of the pool of workers from which the public service could reasonably hire when permanent residents are given equal opportunity, compared to 15.3% when considering citizens alone. The impact of the preference may, in fact, be broader since the existence of the preference may have dissuaded permanent residents from applying in the first place.

Will the amendment regarding permanent residents affect the security clearance process or negatively impact Canadian security?

Changing the preference does not affect the security clearance process. Security clearances are based on a thorough assessment of potential risks, and citizenship is not a criterion.

Will Permanent Residents take jobs away from qualified Canadians?

The amendment will ensure that Permanent Residents and Canadian Citizens are on equal footing when it comes to applying to jobs to join the public service. In all cases, however, merit will continue to be the primary principle of the hiring process.

Will extending the preference to permanent residents conflict with immigration and citizenship policy objectives?

While it may be argued that greater access to Canadian jobs provides meaning, value, and importance to citizenship, and an incentive for naturalization, permanent residents having greater access to public service jobs would likely result in greater social participation and attachment, which are intrinsic motivations towards citizenship. Canada will continue to promote the benefits of citizenship.

Do other jurisdictions restrict the hiring of non-citizens in the public service?

Nine of the thirteen provincial and territorial jurisdictions have statutes which explicitly state that both citizens and permanent residents are equally eligible for recruitment, or that discrimination based on citizenship is prohibited. One has a preference for Canadian citizens but also hires permanent residents, and the other three have no specific provisions regarding access to public service jobs based on citizenship.

Quebec, Alberta, Ontario, Newfoundland, PEI, BC, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia and Manitoba hire anyone with eligibility to work in Canada (e.g., citizens, permanent residents or with a work permit) without distinction
NWT hires citizens or permanent residents on equal footing
New Brunswick has a preference for hiring Canadian citizens but also hires permanent residents
Nunavut has a preference for Nunavut Inuit but also hires anyone with eligibility to work in Canada
Yukon has preference for Yukon First Nations ancestry first, Canadian Aboriginal ancestry second, but also hires anyone with eligibility to work in Canada

Internationally, although the restrictions vary from one country to another, we have not identified any country that permits non-citizens to work in the national public service to the same extent as citizens, with restrictions most commonly applied to positions considered to be high security.

What is the Government’s response to the June 2019 report of the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates on Improving the Public Service Hiring process?

The June 2019 report has not been the subject of an official Government Response. Most of the recommendations of the report addressed the Public Service Commission, which is an independent agent of Parliament with responsibility for appointments.
For the Government, the primary recommendation is related to disseminating disaggregated data.
Late last year, the Government released disaggregated datasets, providing first ever views into the composition of public service employees who self-identify in Employment Equity sub-groups. This data helps for evidence-based decision making in an open and transparent manner. Richer data and deeper analysis leads to a better understanding of the issues that underpin the experiences of public servants.
On April 15, TBS published an interactive Data visualization tool to allow users manipulate fields and parameters easily while accessing and visualizing human resources demographic and employment equity data.
See Diversity and inclusion statistics from Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

Funding and Implementation

How much finding will federal organizations receive to implement these changes?

Implementing these amendments in most organizations should be manageable by adjusting and using current funding and budgetary processes. The Public Service Commission will need additional resources to develop tools and supports for assessment methods evaluations, and potentially for audits and investigations.

How much time will be given to the PSC and federal organizations to implement these changes?

Implementing the requirements for evaluation of bias and barriers in qualification standards will occur as new standards are developed, or existing standards reviewed, after the Bill comes into force.
For new oversight provisions and assessment method evaluations, there will be a transition period to permit the PSC and federal organizations to implement the changes. The length of the transition period will be determined in consultation with the Public Service Commission.
The addition of permanent residents to the appointment preference in external advertised processes will take effect in processes that commence after the bill is passed.

How will members of employment equity and equity-seeking groups be involved in the design and detail of the implementation of these amendments?

Treasury Board Secretariat will engage with stakeholders in developing its methods for evaluating qualification standards and identifying possible mitigations prior to undertaking any such evaluations. The Public Service Commission likewise will engage with stakeholders in developing the tools and mechanisms for evaluating assessment methods before that requirement comes into force.

How would a typical staffing process be different because of the amendments?

While a typical staffing process will not be much different, the tools used to assess candidates such as the tests or interviews, will have been evaluated for bias and barriers and reasonable efforts made to mitigate these, (for example requiring reading levels in assessment instruments that are not required on the job; or having culture specific content on a test that advantages individuals from one background over another, when knowledge of this content is not required on the job).
Permanent resident candidates will be given equal preference for appointments as Canadian citizens in external advertised processes.
It would be explicitly known that a concern about a bias or barrier in a process would fall within the authority of the PSC or deputy heads to investigate.

How will the HR community be supported in implementing these changes?

The Public Service Commission will provide support and guidance to the HR community in implementing these changes. The Public Service Commission is also reviewing training related to biases and barriers in staffing processes that the HR community can take advantage of.

Result Measurement

How will you monitor the effectiveness of these amendments?

It is important to recognize that changing the legislation will not have an instant impact as the work of removing bias and barriers, which have taken root over generations, will require an ongoing effort by a wide range of actors.
From a quantitative perspective, we can look to the Public Service Commission’s data on rates of application and success in competitions by equity-seeking groups and PSC audits (including those specifically authorized by this bill), as well as the annual reports on representation rates required by the Employment Equity Act.
But we will also listen to what public servants tell us about their lived experience in the public service as a whole, in what they report regarding harassment and discrimination in the Public Service Employment Survey, and in the engagements we undertake with employee diversity networks, bargaining agents and Senior Officers for Employment Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.

How will Deputy Heads report and be accountable for results?

Deputy Heads will be held accountable for results using current assessment tools such as the Management Accountability Framework based on data reported in the Employment Equity Annual Report, and through the Public Service Employee Survey. The amendment to the Public Service Commission’s audit and investigation authorities may also foster accountability of deputy heads.

Legal Risks

What impact will these amendments have on ongoing grievances, complaints, or actions alleging discrimination in the staffing process?

The Government has heard the concerns of public servants, particularly those from equity-seeking groups, related to the potential for bias and barriers in staffing, and its commitment to improving diversity and inclusion in the public service is underscored by taking these steps to improve the legislative framework.
These amendments are not an admission of liability or a commentary on the merits of any grievances, complaints or actions currently underway in various fora, including the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board, the Canadian Human Rights Commission and Tribunal, or the courts. These amendments also would not apply to any grievances, complaints, actions or other recourses filed about matters which took place before the amendments came into force.

Issues not addressed by the bill:

Why is there no amendment regarding targeting hiring programs for members of specific groups, for sub-groups or for groups that are not currently designated in the Employment Equity Act?

Currently, the “area of selection” can be used to limit those who can apply to a staffing process to a group that is designated in the Employment Equity Act. However, that mechanism cannot be used to limit a process to a group that is not designated in the Act.
The Public Service Commission will be consulting stakeholders in the coming weeks on a regulatory approach that would facilitate targeted hiring programs under the Canadian Human Rights Act. This would allow hiring-managers to go beyond employment equity objectives for the four designated groups, and increase their ability to target hiring of other disadvantaged groups (e.g. employment equity subgroups and other equity-seeking groups), identified by a special program established by their organization.

Audit of Employment Equity Representation in Recruitment

Questions and answers - Audit of Employment Equity Representation in Recruitment

Methodology of the audit

How was the audit carried out?

Our audit sample of 15 285 applications was drawn from a selection of 181 completed external advertised processes with closing dates between April 1, 2016, and March 31, 2017. These processes were drawn from 30 federal departments and agencies.
We then divided the recruitment process in 5 key stages: job applications, automated screening, organizational screening, assessment and appointment.

The representation of employment equity groups at each of these steps of the recruitment process was then calculated to determine at which step each of the groups faced any barriers.

Why did the PSC undertake this audit?

As part of our mandate to provide for the appointment of persons to or from the public service in accordance with the Public Service Employment Act and our role as employer under the Employment Equity Act, we are responsible for identifying any barriers in recruitment. This audit is part of a series of oversight activities to explore factors and trends in hiring for employment equity groups. It builds on the work of our Anonymized Recruitment Project.
In 2018, the PSC published its Anonymized Recruitment Project report. Results indicated that there were no net benefits for visible minorities to concealing personal information during screening compared to not concealing this information. However, there were limitations identified in the methodology of the project. To circumvent the limitations of the project and complement its findings, it was recommended that the PSC conduct an audit.

How did you identify the people in employment equity groups?

People can choose to self-declare as a member of one or more employment equity group each time they apply for a position.

Who are the counterparts of the employment equity groups?

The counterparts of each employment equity group are all other employees. For example, the counterparts for women are men, while the counterparts for members of visible minorities are employees who did not self-declare as members of this employment equity group.

Are there barriers to employment in the staffing processes for members of employment equity groups? What are these barriers?

Yes. The audit found that members of employment equity groups did not remain proportionally represented throughout the recruitment process; for example, for members of visible minorities at the organizational screening and assessment stages; for Indigenous applicants at the assessment stage, and for persons with disabilities at the assessment and appointment stages.
There is likely a set of contributing factors. We are mindful that factors that we don’t have evidence for may be at play, including willingness to relocate, discrimination, racism and unconscious bias.

What are the main findings of the audit?

We found that employment equity groups did not remain proportionately represented throughout the recruitment process.
Our audit results showed that:

women were the only group to experience an overall increase in representation from the job application to the appointment stage
Indigenous applicants experienced a reduction in representation at the assessment stage
persons with disabilities experienced the largest drop in representation of any of the employment equity groups, with decreases in representation at the assessment and appointment stages
visible minority groups experienced reductions in representation at the organizational screening and assessment stages
of the visible minority sub-groups examined in our audit, Black applicants experienced a larger drop in representation than other members of visible minorities, both at the organizational screening and assessment stages

The PSC expects deputy heads to use these results to review their own hiring processes and practices, and to take steps required to improve the success rates of employment equity groups.
The PSC will take immediate action, such as making unconscious bias training a requirement for hiring managers, working to increase diversity on interview boards and providing guidance on barrier-free recruitment methods.
The PSC will also work with departments and agencies as well as employment equity groups and committees to identify specific factors that impact the success of employment equity groups and visible minority sub-groups. In collaboration, it will then develop concrete solutions.

You mention the various factors that could have contributed to the low success rate of visible minorities at the organizational preselection stage.
What are these factors and how do you explain their impact in concrete terms?

One of the main reasons for the lower success rate for members of visible minorities at the screening stage relates to the preference for Canadian citizens, as per the Public Service Employment Act. In fact, consistent with other analyses, the audit found that a higher percentage of visible minorities were non-citizens when compared to their counterparts. As a result, when the preference for Canadian citizens is applied they are disproportionately screened-out.
For all other identified factors (for example, education, certifications), members of visible minorities fared as well as, if not better than, their counterparts.
While citizenship was a factor, it does not fully explain the drop.
We are mindful that other factors for which we do not have evidence may also be at play, for example willingness to relocate, discrimination, racism, unconscious bias amongst others.

Though all 4 employment equity groups now surpass their workforce availabilities, the audit highlights the fact that candidates from employment equity groups still face significant challenges
What do you plan to do to solve the problem?

This audit is a call to action for the public service to ensure equal opportunities for everyone,
The PSC calls upon all departments and agencies to immediately take concrete actions to identify and eliminate barriers in recruitment
The PSC expects deputy heads to use these results to review their own hiring processes and practices, and to take steps required to improve the success rates of employment equity groups.
The PSC will take immediate action, such as making unconscious bias training a requirement for hiring managers, working to increase diversity on interview boards and providing guidance on barrier-free recruitment methods,
The PSC will also work with departments and agencies as well as employment equity groups and committees to identify and address specific factors that impact the success of employment equity groups.
Our society and our leaders are all calling for our institutions to reflect, and to be representative of the people they serve. We need to take this principle seriously and act on it.

Why didn’t the PSC take members of the LGBTQ2+ or other underrepresented communities into account in its audit?

At this time, there are only 4 groups that are designated employment equity groups according to the Employment Equity Act: women, members of visible minorities, Indigenous people, and persons with disabilities. These were the groups covered by the audit.
The PSC collects employment equity data voluntarily provided by people who apply to jobs advertised on the jobs.gc.ca website. These data along with self-identification data collected by the OCHRO at appointment, enable the PSC to assess employment equity trends and performance relating to the share of external applicants of the 4 designated employment equity groups and visible minorities sub-groups.

Do you believe that the Employment Equity Act should be amended?
If so, how?

The PSC believes that the EE Act should be modernised. For example, accountability and reporting could be strengthened, the definition for persons with disabilities should be aligned with other legislation (e.g., Accessibility Act). The definition of Employment Equity groups should also be broadened to include other additional groups such as the LGBTQ+ community
TBS media lines

The Treasury Board Secretariat will continue to work closely with partners, which includes supporting Employment and Social Development Canada on the review of the Employment Equity Act, to ensure that the public service applies appropriate benchmarks for diversity.
The Treasury Board Secretariat has initiated discussions with key stakeholders about the framework for recruitment in the public service and is specifically looking at possible amendments to the Public Service Employment Act and to support the review the Employment Equity Act, planned by the Minister of Labour.

Was the audit carried out because there is proof of biases in the current hiring and recruitment processes in the public service?

No. This audit was undertaken as part of the PSC’s oversight mandate to assess the integrity of the public service staffing system. It is part of a series of initiatives that looks at the performance of the staffing system with respect to the representation of employment equity groups.
Other initiatives include the Anonymized Recruitment Pilot Project, the Employment Equity Promotion Rate Study and the Staffing and Non-partisanship Survey.

Why is the representation of employment equity groups in the audit report different than the representation rates in the PSC Annual Report?

The PSC’s Annual Report reflects all staffing activities including externally advertised appointment processes, internally advertised appointment processes, non-advertised appointment processes, post-secondary recruitment, etc.
Our audit focused solely on a subset of externally advertised processes, one specific type of recruitment (staffing).

Did the New Direction in Staffing and the growing use of non-advertised process have an impact?

The PSC did not look at non-advertised processes as part of the audit. Other PSC research has not identified any adverse impact of the use of non-advertised appointments on employment equity groups. In fact, the share of non-advertised appointments has increased for visible minorities and has remained stable for all other employment equity groups.

Does time to staff have an impact on representation?

Time to staff was not looked at as part of the audit.

Media specific

Racism

Is systemic racism present in the Government of Canada’s staffing processes?

There is a recognition that systemic barriers are present in the federal public service.
When such barriers are present for racialized groups, it may result in systemic racism. Staffing in the federal public service is not immune to such possibilities.
The audit found barriers for employment equity groups. Some factors explaining those barriers may indeed be considered as systemic in nature, for example the preference for Canadian citizenship, which has a greater impact on visible minorities. We also found that Black applicants generally have a lower representation rate than their visible minority counterparts.
The PSC expects deputy heads to use these results to review their own hiring processes and practices, and to take steps required to improve the success rates of employment equity groups.
The PSC will take immediate action, such as making unconscious bias training a requirement for hiring managers, working to increase diversity on interview boards and providing guidance on barrier-free recruitment methods.
The PSC will also work with departments and agencies as well as employment equity groups and committees to identify specific factors that impact the success of employment equity groups and visible minority sub-groups. In collaboration, it will then develop concrete solutions.

How could a person’s application be rejected based on their nationality, even if there is no photo on the résumé uploaded to the GC Jobs platform?

The audit did not re-evaluate the screening decisions made by individual hiring managers. It found that some factors could partially explain the drop in representation of visible minorities at the organizational screening stage, such as citizenship status. However, limited information in staffing files did not provide conclusive evidence of other factors.
If pressed:
Applicants are able to voluntarily self-declare their status as a member of an employment equity group, as well as their membership in visible minority sub-groups. This information is included in their application, which is reviewed by the hiring manager.

Discrimination

Is there discrimination in the public service hiring process?

There is a recognition that systemic barriers are present in the federal public service.
There is bias in our systems, policies, practices, and the way we do and see things.
When such barriers are present, it may result in discrimination. Staffing in the federal public service is not immune to such possibilities. There has been and still is discrimination within our institutions, and this is part of the problem; everyone must be treated in a fair and equitable manner.
The audit found that some groups experienced a drop in representation at one or more stages of the recruitment process. Some factors were identified to partially explain the drop for members of visible minorities at the organizational screening stage. However, limited information in staffing files did not provide conclusive evidence of other factors that may be associated with lower representation rates of employment equity groups.
There are clearly some obstacles that need to be addressed in order to have a fully inclusive recruitment process.
The PSC expects deputy heads to use these results to review their own hiring processes and practices, and to take steps required to improve the success rates of employment equity groups.
The PSC will take immediate action, such as making unconscious bias training a requirement for hiring managers, working to increase diversity on interview boards and providing guidance on barrier-free recruitment methods.
The PSC will also work with departments and agencies as well as employment equity groups and committees to identify specific factors that impact the success of employment equity groups and visible minority sub-groups. In collaboration, it will then develop concrete solutions.
Recruitment, development opportunities and promotions are all expressions of the merit principle, and we have to ensure we are not excluding any qualified individuals.

Is the GC hiring culture in need of change?

Yes. Our audit indicated that there are barriers in our recruitment process.
The PSC expects deputy heads to use these results to review their own hiring processes and practices, and to take steps required to improve the success rates of employment equity groups.
The PSC will take immediate action, such as making unconscious bias training a requirement for hiring managers, working to increase diversity on interview boards and providing guidance on barrier-free recruitment methods.
The PSC will also work with departments and agencies as well as employment equity groups and committees to identify specific factors that impact the success of employment equity groups and visible minority sub-groups. In collaboration, it will then develop concrete solutions.

The PSC mentioned that it would do more work to understand the root cause. What kind of work will you do and when can we expect to have that information?

Our first step will be to engage with various employment equity groups to see what areas they feel we should focus on, and work on co-developing an approach to look at root causes. We have not pre-defined the work, as members from various employment equity groups must be consulted and engaged. However, this work could include getting viewpoints of candidates on the recruitment process; further data analysis of factors contributing to outcomes; or surveys to understand perceived barriers.

Legal

There is an ongoing lawsuit against the government made by a number of Black employees, citing discrimination. Your audit appears to support the basis of the lawsuit. Can you explain how this discrimination manifests itself?

The PSC is not in a position to comment on the court actions as they are presently before the courts.

What is your position on the Black Lives Matter movement?

(President’s response): We must acknowledge the existence of systemic racism and discrimination; we cannot ignore it. The question we should ask ourselves is: How can we help put an end to this? We must above all leverage the talent and merit that exists in our country.

Is there unconscious bias in the public service hiring process?

There is a recognition that systemic barriers are present in the federal public service. Employees, including hiring managers, can have unconscious bias, and therefore, the public service hiring process can be biased.
The PSC expects deputy heads to use these results to review their hiring processes and practices and to take the measures needed to increase the success of employment equity groups.
The PSC will take immediate actions such as making unconscious bias training a requirement for hiring managers, using diverse interview boards, and developing and sharing new guides regarding inclusive assessment methods.
The PSC will work with departments and agencies and with employment equity groups and committees to identify factors that affect the success of these groups of visible minority sub-groups. Next, the PSC will collaborate to develop concrete solutions.
These can be biases for or against people and are part of human nature, as every human is conditioned by their life and experiences. The important thing is to recognize biases, understand them and find ways to address them.

Indigenous

Why do Indigenous people perform worse at the assessment stage? What is being done to improve the situation?

At the assessment stage, Indigenous applicants experienced lower success, especially when interviews were used. We were not able to specifically identify what aspects of the interview process were contributing to the lower representation rate of Indigenous candidates.
Nonetheless, we note that few of the participating departments in our sample had a requirement for diverse selection boards. We will explore leading practices, such as diverse interview boards, which may result in a better candidate experience and outcomes in this stage of the process.

Finances

In light of current finances, how can the GC increase diversity if hiring is scaled back?

Regardless of hiring levels, the GC must ensure that everyone has equal opportunity to prove themselves as candidates. Everyone must be treated equitably.

Given Canada’s economic situation, will you have sufficient funds to address the issues raised?

It is necessary to act immediately; everyone should have equal opportunity when it comes to public service hiring.
Many of the actions that can be taken do not require spending.
For example, we must not delay in increasing the diversity of selection boards and reviewing the tools used by hiring managers. A requirement for unconscious bias training will also be included in the actions put forward by the PSC.

Official languages

Did the audit find that language requirements and second language evaluation testing were an issue or contributing factor to the representation of job applicants belonging to employment equity groups?

In the majority of hiring processes, testing of second language competency is typically done late in the process. In the case of our audit, our sample sizes at the final stages of the recruitment processes were too small to conduct a meaningful analysis of the effect of second language evaluation on candidates’ results by employment equity group.
It is also important to note that the PSC ensures that Second Language Tests are free of bias. The PSC regularly monitors results to ensure that there are no new barriers or adverse impact on any groups of employees.

Diversity and inclusion

How does the PSC address diversity and inclusion as a whole?

The PSC is responsible for promoting and safeguarding a merit-based, representative and non-partisan federal public service.
The PSC also works with its partners to educate managers on the importance of inclusion and diversity.
The PSC offers hiring programs for people with disabilities and Indigenous people. The PSC has also established the Aboriginal Centre of Expertise and offers training to managers who hire Indigenous students and people with disabilities.
Through its Personnel Psychology Centre, the PSC provides support and advice to departments to ensure unbiased assessments. It also provides advice for implementing measures to ensure universal accessibility.

Other

Why did the PSC use old files for the audit and not more recent ones in light of the recent events related to racism?

The PSC needed to use completed staffing files in order to do its work. More recent staffing actions may not have been fully completed and therefore were not useful for the purpose of this audit.
The PSC also wanted to be able to compare the results of this audit with some of the results of earlier studies on employment equity recruitment, such as the pilot project on anonymized recruitment. As a result, we decided to use a timeframe that would allow these results to be compared to our other data.

In what ways is the PSC considering strengthening its employment equity obligations in its delegation instrument?

Deputy heads currently have the obligation to conduct Employment Systems Reviews (in accordance with the Employment Equity Act), where needed, in order to identify employment barriers against persons in designated groups that result from their organizational systems, policies and practices.
The PSC is aiming to reinforce this responsibility through its delegation instrument for deputy heads of departments and agencies covered by the Public Service Employment Act.
The PSC will also explore new terms and conditions to include in these delegations related to diversity and inclusion, in areas such as training and assessment.

Why has the PSC chosen to mandate unconscious bias training? What evidence does the PSC have that mandating this type of training will have any impact on reducing or removing barriers in staffing?

While it may be difficult to completely eliminate personal bias through training, training is an essential component in efforts to reduce barriers. To be effective, such training cannot be the only action taken, but rather must be part of a holistic effort to reduce barriers and promote inclusiveness and diversity.
A well-designed unconscious bias training program can help drive positive, inclusive behaviour and reinforce the message that preventing discrimination and promoting inclusiveness practices in hiring processes is a priority.
The addition of required training responds partly to one of the recommendations stemming from the Final Report of the Joint Union/Management Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion, Building a Diverse and Inclusive Public Service:

That diversity and inclusion, employment equity, and unconscious bias training be integrated into staffing delegation and sub-delegation requirements

The training is also a measure that employment equity groups and other stakeholders have insisted on for some time.

Will diverse interview boards be a mandatory requirement for all hiring?

It is a solution that can be implemented rapidly that the PSC is looking at.
When we are talking about low-cost actions, that’s certainly one of them.
The PSC is conducting research on best practices with regard to the implementation of diverse selection boards and will be examining the feasibility of mandating this practice in the public service.
As a starting point, we are considering piloting with smaller groups, for example in senior executive processes, to identify the strengths and limitations of this practice.
We will continue to promote diversity on boards as a leading practice that should be considered whenever and wherever possible.

Which department has the lowest score in terms of diversity in your audit? Is the PSC among the best departments when it comes to diversity?

The audit did not try to highlight who’s the best and who’s the worst, but looked at the government as a whole.
The audit was conducted horizontally throughout the government.
The intent of the audit was not to look at systemic barriers within the recruitment process.
We need to make sure that each candidate is given an equal opportunity to succeed. We need to level the field for every Canadian, particularly the ones who fall in one of the 4 employment equity groups.

How is the PSC performing in terms of employment equity representation? The PSC is recommending employment systems reviews. When is the last time the PSC performed such a review?

The PSC as a department and as a central agency has placed a priority on diversity, inclusion, and employment equity.
Departmentally, the PSC surpasses workforce availability (data provided by TBS, OCHRO) for 3 of the 4 designated groups – Women (+18.1%), Indigenous Peoples (+1%), and Visible Minorities (+5.8%), and is under-represented for persons with a disability (- 1%, or equal to a gap of 8 employees).
With that said, the PSC as a department did identify hiring targets based on the central agency macro-simulation to attain Federal Public Service Accessibility Strategy hiring goals of persons with disability, and our departmental representation for this designated group has increased in fiscal year 2020-21 (March 31, 2020) from a gap of 32 to a gap of 8 (as of January 4, 2020).
Departmental diversity and inclusion Champions have undertaken/or are in process of undertaking consultations with employees from equity-seeking groups to better understand lived experiences.
Unconscious Bias training for senior managers will also a requirement in FY 2021-22, once appropriate courses are identified.
The PSC has not performed such a review for several years. However, it will undertake a review this year.

Data and statistics - Summaries

Applicant and recruitment shares for employment equity groups
Applicant and recruitment shares for visible minority subgroups
Citizenship of applicants and external appointments
Non-advertised appointments by employment equity group
Public servants applying to external processes
Data and Analysis - Share of promotions for all EE groups
Senior executive representation trends

Other Reports and Studies - Summaries

Applicant and recruitment shares for employment equity groups

The external applicant share for women increased in 2020-2021 (from 55.3% in 2019-2020 to 57.9% in 2020-2021).
Likewise, the external applicant share for persons with disabilities increased slightly in 2020-2021 (from 3.0% to 3.1%).
The external applicant share for visible minorities decreased in 2020-2021 (from 24.3% in 2019-2020 to 23.8% in 2020-2021).
Similarly, the external applicant share for Indigenous peoples decreased in 2020-2021 (from 3.2% to 2.7%).
All groups except for indigenous people saw an increase in their share of external hires in 2019-2020 (persons with disabilities: 3.7% to 3.9%; visible minorities: 19.3% to 21.3%; women: 56.3% to 58.3%; Indigenous peoples: 4.1% to 4.0%).
Both the external applicant and recruitment shares for persons with disabilities fell below their workforce availability (WFA) of 9.0% in 2018-2019, 2019-2020 and 2020-2021.
The external applicant share for Indigenous peoples fell below their WFA of 4.0% in 2018-2019, 2019-2020 and 2020-2021.
Both the external applicant and recruitment shares for women and visible minorities were above their WFA in 2018-2019, 2019-2020 and 2020-2021.

**Table 1: Persons with disabilities’ share of external applicants and hires compared to workforce availability (WFA)**
Fiscal Year	Count of External Applicants	Share of External Applicants	Count of External Hires	Share of External Hires	WFA
2018-2019	9 886	2,7%	864	3,7%	9,0%
2019-2020	9 448	3,0%	978	3,9%	9,0%
2020-2021	13 143	3,1%	Not available	Not available	9,0%

**Table 2: Indigenous people’s share of external applicants and hires compared to workforce availability (WFA)**
Fiscal Year	Count of External Applicants	Share of External Applicants	Count of External Hires	Share of External Hires	WFA
2018-2019	11 223	3,0%	962	4,1%	4,0%
2019-2020	10 021	3,2%	991	4,0%	4,0%
2020-2021	11 267	2,7%	Not available	Not available	4,0%

**Table 3: Visible minorities’ share of external applicants and hires compared to workforce availability (WFA)**
Fiscal Year	Count of External Applicants	Share of External Applicants	Count of External Hires	Share of External Hires	WFA
2018-2019	82 226	22,3%	4 507	19,3%	15,3%
2019-2020	76 637	24,3%	5 302	21,3%	15,3%
2020-2021	100 187	23,8%	Not available	Not available	15,3%

**Table 4: Women’s share of external applicants and hires compared to workforce availability (WFA)**
Fiscal Year	Count of External Applicants	Share of External Applicants	Count of External Hires	Share of External Hires	WFA
2018-2019	186 933	55,0%	13 176	56,5%	52,7%
2019-2020	162 175	55,3%	14 503	58,3%	52,7%
2020-2021	229 957	57,9%	Not available	Not available	52,7%

Applicant and recruitment shares for visible minority subgroups

The largest increases in applicant share were observed for Black applicants (from 5.6% in 2018-2019 to 6.4% in 2019-2020) and South Asian/East Asian applicants (from 5.5% in 2018-2019 to 6.1% in 2019-2020).
The largest increases in recruitment share were observed for South Asian/East Asian hires (from 3.1% in 2018-2019 to 3.7% in 2019-2020), for Black hires (from 4.5% in 2018-2019 to 5% in 2019-2020), for Non-White West Asian, North African or Arab hires (from 2.5% in 2018-2019 to 2.9% in 2019-2020), and for Persons of Mixed Origin hires (from 1.75% in 2018-2019 to 2.1% in 2019-2020).

Citizenship of applicants and external appointments

The number of applicants to, and appointments from, jobs open to the public has increased in recent years. Most applicants are Canadian citizens, but the share of non-citizen applicants has risen in recent years.
In 2019-2020, 15.8% of applicants (49,857 applicants) to jobs open to the public were non-citizens, an increase from 9.4% of applicants (19,013 applicants) in 2015-2016. Two-thirds of these non-citizens (33,606 applicants) were permanent residents.
Although external appointment volumes have also increased in recent years, the share of non-citizen appointments does not meet their share of applicants.
In 2019-2020, only 2.3% of hires (479 hires) were non-citizens. Three-quarters of these non-citizens (377 hires) were permanent residents.
Visible minority applicants are more likely to be non-citizens than their counterparts. As a result, given the preference for the appointment of qualified Canadian citizens, visible minority applicants are disproportionately screened out.
In 2019-2020, 38.3% of non-citizen applicants were visible minorities. In comparison, for citizen applicants, 21.7% were visible minorities.
In 2019-2020, 46.9% of non-citizen hires were visible minorities, compared to 22.4% of citizen hires being visible minorities.
It would be important to consider lifting barriers, such as preference for Canadian citizen applicants, preventing non-citizens from joining the ranks of the federal public service.
They represent a growing segment of the population
They also constitute an important potential talent pool for the public service
But in so doing, it will be important to consider addressing other related barriers, such as qualification standards and recognition of foreign credentials.

Non-advertised appointments by employment equity group

Following the introduction of the New Direction in Staffing (NDS) in April 2016, there was an increase in the proportion of non-advertised appointments from approximately 30% to 53% in 2019-2020.
The representation of members of visible minorities in non-advertised appointments increased since the implementation of the NDS, while the representation of all other EE groups remained stable.
This increase in representation for members of visible minorities in non-advertised appointments is partially closing an existing gap with their representation in advertised appointments.
In 2019-2020, the representation of members of visible minorities in advertised appointments was 21.5% compared to 19.6% in non-advertised appointments.

Public servants applying to external processes

Most applicants to federal public service jobs advertised to the public are from outside the federal government (“external candidates”), however internal candidates make up a much larger share of hires compared to their share as applicants.

In 2019-2020, internal candidates accounted for 16% of all applicants compared to 40% of appointments.

Across all four employment equity groups, representation amongst internal candidates who apply to or are appointed from jobs advertised to the public is higher than their representation amongst external candidates.

Data and Analysis - Share of promotions for all EE groups

Between April 1, 2014 and March 31, 2020, the share of promotions for all EE groups has increased:

Women, from 57.1% (6,234) to 61.1% (16,619)
Visible minorities, from 14.3% (1,558) to 19.9% (5,404)
Black visible minority subgroup, from 2.4% (263) to 3.7% (997)
Persons with disabilities, from 4.1% (450) to 4.2% (1,134)
Indigenous peoples, from 4.1% (442) to 4.9% (1,333)

The share of promotions from EX feeder positions into an EX position was:

51.4% (142) to 57.0% (236) for women
7.6% (21) to 15.0% (62) for members of visible minorities
4.0% (11) to 3.6% (15) for persons with disabilities
3.3% (9) to 4.6% (19) for Indigenous peoples

The share of promotions within EX positions was:

50.8% (167) to 50.9% (266) for women
8.2% (27) to 12.0% (63) for members of visible minorities
6.7% (22) to 2.9% (15) for persons with disabilities
3.0% (10) to 3.6% (19) for Indigenous peoples

Analysis

The share of overall promotions between 2014 and 2020 increased to some extent for all employment equity groups including Black public servants.
While promotion share of visible minorities have consistently exceeded their representation in the public service, the promotion share for Black public servants barely meets their representation.

For Black public servants, their applicant representation (6.4%) is considerably higher than their representation in both the population (3.5%) and promotions (3.7%).

Public servants with disabilities received a share of promotions that was approximately half of their WFA
When looking at the EX cadre we note that:

The overall share of promotions into and within EX positions increased for all EE groups, except public servants with disabilities.
With respect to promotions from EX feeder groups, women and Indigenous peoples increased their shares and were represented at a level higher than their WFA
Except for women, the other three employment equity group’s promotion shares within EX positions were below their WFA.

Senior executive representation trends

Trends in the senior executive groups (EX-03, EX-04 and EX-05) are generally driven by the EX-03 group, which accounted for nearly 75 percent of senior executives in 2018-2019.
Representation of all employment equity groups among senior executives has increased in recent years but remains below workforce availability (WFA) of the overall executive cadre.

**Table 5: Senior executive representation compared with EX workforce availability**
Employment equity group	Population representation (2018-2019)	Workforce availability (WFA) for all EX	Gap
Persons with disabilities	4.8% (62 senior executives)	5.30%	6 senior executives
Indigenous peoples	3.0% (39 senior executives)	5.10%	27 senior executives
Visible minorities	9.7% (125 senior executives)	10.60%	11 senior executives
Women	43.4% (559 senior executives)	48%	59 senior executives

Nearly 90% of senior executives arrive in those groups via promotion, mostly from the EX-01 and EX-02 feeder groups.
Feeder groups tend to be younger and more representative than the EX-03 to EX-05 groups themselves.
Staffing volumes into EX-03 to EX-05 positions have increased from 151 in 2013-2014 to 239 in 2018-2019.
Employment equity recruitment has fluctuated, but shares are generally trending up
Departures from EX-03 to EX-05 positions are generally lower than recruitment volumes, which contributes to the increase in employment equity representation.
There is some evidence to suggest that senior executives may be leaving the public service later than in previous years.

Recruitment which includes the analysis at the subgroup level.

Federal public servants participating in jobs open to the public

Citizenship of applicants and external appointments

Non-advertised appointments by employment equity group

Data and statistics - Summaries

Applicant and recruitment shares for employment equity groups
Applicant and recruitment shares for visible minority subgroups
Citizenship of applicants and external appointments
Non-advertised appointments by employment equity group
Public servants applying to external processes
Data and Analysis - Share of promotions for all EE groups
Senior executive representation trends

Official Languages

Bilingualism among external applicants

All data in this section describe applicants to indeterminate positions and term positions of at least three months in length.
Overall, 42.5% of applicants self-assessed as bilingual, while 55.1% self-assessed as English unilingual and 2.3% self-assessed as French unilingual.
Indigenous peoples were less likely than other employment equity groups to self-assess as bilingual on applications.

**Table 6: Percent of applicants who self-assess as bilingual, 2019-2020**
EE group	Self-assessed bilingual	Unilingual English	Visible minorities	Other
Indigenous peoples	30.10%	68.40%	1.20%	~0.2%
Persons with disabilities	41.10%	57.90%	0.90%	~0.2%
Visible minorities	40.80%	57.30%	1.80%	~0.1%
Women	42.90%	54.30%	2.80%	<0.1%

Applicants who are Canadian citizens are more likely to self-assess as bilingual than non-citizen applicants.
In 2019-2020, 44.4% of citizens self-assessed as bilingual, while only 32.7% of permanent residents and 26.7% of other non-citizens self-assessed as bilingual.
Within the visible minorities group in 2019-2020, 43.5% of citizens self-assessed as bilingual, while 32.2% of permanent residents and 27.9% of other non-citizens did so.
Bilingual applicant shares varied significantly among the visible minority subgroups in 2019-2020, ranging from 58.6% in the Non-White West Asian, North African or Arab subgroup to 10.9% in the Filipino subgroup.

**Table 7: Percent of applicants who self-assess as bilingual by visible minority subgroup, 2019-2020**
Visible minority subgroup	Self-assessed bilingual	Unilingual English	Unilingual French	Other
Black	51,6 %	45,1 %	3,2 %	<0,1 %
Chinese	21,5 %	78,3 %	<0,1 %	<0,1 %
Filipino	10,9 %	88,8 %	<0,1 %	0,4 %
Japanese	26,8 %	73,2 %	<0,1 %	<0,1 %
Korean	19,4 %	80,4 %	<0,1 %	0,2 %
Non-White Latin American	52,0 %	44,3 %	3,4 %	0,3 %
Non-White West Asian, North African or Arab	58,6 %	38,5 %	2,8 %	<0,1 %
Not Reported	39,2 %	58,5 %	2,1 %5	0,1 %
Other Visible Minority Groups	50,2 %	46,7 %	3,0 %	0,1 %
Person of Mixed Origin	48,4 %	51,1 %	0,5 %	<0,1 %
South Asian/East Indian	13,9 %	86,0 %	<0,1 %	<0,1 %
Southeast Asian	35,5 %	63,3 %	1,0 %	0,2 %

Official languages – PPC

EE Pass Rate study

The PSC regularly examines pass rates on its Second Language Evaluation tests.
This work includes looking at pass rates for members of the four designated employment equity groups: Women, Visible Minorities, Indigenous Peoples and Persons with a Disability.
Looking at the data over a 5-year period (2015-2020) we found:

That pass rates tend to be consistent with what we know about rates of bilingualism across groups in the population.
Where we see differences, they tend to be slight when judged using professional metrics and benchmarks.
In some cases, we would expect to see larger differences based on what we know about language proficiency in the population. (See Tables below for overall pass rates by skill, language, and EE group membership.)
Some more notable differences were observed when the most advanced level (C level) was required. Specifically:

In English, members of Visible Minority did slightly less well than their counterparts on the Reading and Oral tests.
In French, Persons with Disabilities did slightly less well than their counterparts on the Writing test.

Future Work on Employment Equity and Second Language Evaluation

We are undertaking further research and analysis to better understand:

Why rates of self-reported EE group membership are lower in our testing data compared to what we wee in workforce availability studies
How EE sub-groups perform on the SLE tests; and,
The role of official languages in the career progression of employment equity group members.

On April 6th, 2021, the PSC launched a new test of oral proficiency.

We are actively collecting data to monitor the performance of the new tool.
This includes input from equity seeking groups via feedback. questionnaires, focus groups and consultations with stakeholder groups.
We will use this information to make any required adjustments and drive continuous improvement.

**Table 1: Pass rates ^{Footnote 2} for men and women on Second Language Evaluation (SLE) tests for the 2015-2020 fiscal years. (English)**
Skill	Men	Women
Reading	92,1%	89,3%
Writing	88,0%	85,5%
Oral	82,8%	82,0%

**Table 2: Pass rates ^{Footnote 2} for men and women on Second Language Evaluation (SLE) tests for the 2015-2020 fiscal years. (French)**
Skill	Men	Women
Reading	80,2%	80,1%
Writing	58,6%	60,6%
Oral	58,7%	63,5%

**Table 3: Pass rates ^{Footnote 2} for employment equity groups and reference group on Second Language Evaluation (SLE) tests for the 2015-2020 fiscal years. (English)**
Skill	Reference Group^{Footnote 3}	Indigenous Peoples	Members of Visible Minorities	Persons with Disabilities
Reading	91,4 %	89,7 %	81,2 %	89,0 %
Writing	87,3 %	83,5 %	78,6 %	81,9 %
Oral	83,4 %	84,5 %	73,9 %	77,5 %

**Table 4: Pass rates ^{Footnote 3} for employment equity groups and reference group on Second Language Evaluation (SLE) tests for the 2015-2020 fiscal years. (French)**
Skill	Reference Group^{Footnote 3}	Indigenous Peoples	Members of Visible Minorities	Persons with Disabilities
Reading	80,7 %	75,0 %	75,5 %	73,8 %
Writing	59,8 %	52,3 %	60,2 %	55,6 %
Oral	61,8 %	59,9 %	62,1 %	54,3 %

Diversity and inclusion action plan

D&I Initiatives Update

Policy Division

Updated: April 23, 2021

Employment Systems Review

Key Milestones

Deliverable	Deadline
Conduct environmental scan and engage with key stakeholders (OCHRO, ESDC, CHRC)	Complete
Engage informally with departments	Complete
Draft new guide	Complete
Conduct consultations (including departmental working group)	May-21
Obtain approval from OCHRO and Commission	Jun-21
Launch guide and execute communication plan and outreach strategy	Jul-21

Status Update

Initial draft of guide complete; consultations with key stakeholders will be held in May.
Working group of 9 departments (various sizes and experience with ESRs) has been established and will be a key component of the consultations.
Communication plan and outreach strategy being developed.

Inclusive Merit Criteria

Key Milestones

Deliverable	Deadline
Consult OCHRO and OPSA	Complete
Develop key messages for use by PSC, OCHRO & OPSA communications	Complete
Update Federal Public Service Inclusive Appointment Lens (GBA+)	Complete
Finalize lens, in consultation with OCHRO, and publish	Complete

Status Update

Revised Inclusive Appointment Lens published on March 31, 2021. Planned communication and outreach activities completed.

Unconscious Bias Training

Deliverable	Deadline
Identify options and key considerations	Complete
Conduct environmental scan	Complete
Consult with stakeholders (departments, diversity groups, bargaining agents)	Complete
Collaborate with CSPS on training content	May-21
Seek MOC approval for update to delegation instrument	May-21
Communicate and present new requirement	Jun-21

Status Update

Consultations held with a sample of approximately 20 departments and agencies on March 22 & 24.
Recommendations being developed for MOC in May on proposed approach to incorporate requirement in the ADAI.
Ongoing collaboration with CSPS on course content. Expected release of course in late spring or early summer.

Diverse Selection Boards

Key Milestones

Deliverable	Deadline
Conduct environmental scan	Complete
Explore existing practices in departments	Complete
Consult with stakeholders (departments, diversity groups, bargaining agents)	Complete
Seek approval	Jul-21
Launch communication plan and outreach strategy	Oct-21

Status Update

Internal scan of existing initiatives is underway, including examination of MAF results. A high-level summary report is being prepared.
Consultations held with a sample of approximately 20 departments and agencies on March 22 & 24.
Reviewing deliverables and approach based on consultations.

Review of Affirmation of Aboriginal Affiliation Form

Key Milestones

Deliverable	Deadline
Seek views on consultation approach	Complete
Consult internal groups (Indigenous, departments, bargaining agents)	Complete
Consult external indigenous groups	Apr-21
Analyze feedback and prepare recommendations	Jul-21
Seek approval	Aug-21
Implement recommendations	Sep-21

Status Update

Survey for consultations with departments and agencies closed on February 19. A total of 47 departments/agencies responded to the survey. Analysis of responses underway.
Working to arrange consultation with an academic expert to seek views on the issue of confirmation of Indigenous identity.
10 universities are being consulted on their practices for confirming identity for academic programs or bursaries targeted to indigenous students. No feedback received yet.
Communication sent to the 8 external indigenous groups being consulted. Consultation with Pillimaksavik and BC Metis Council completed. Determining approach to ensure feedback is received from others.

Subgroups

Key Milestones

Deliverable	Deadline
Seek legal opinion on ability on use of PSEA measures to target subgroups	Complete
Draft letter to Heads of HR, and associated Questions and Answers	Complete
Consult OCHRO and CHRC on message	Complete
Communicate message and update website	Complete

Status Update

LHHR and guidance published on March 17, 2021.
Meeting held with SSAs and NRD staff (including regions) to ensure common understanding and consistency in messaging.

D&I Regulatory Proposal

Key Milestones

Deliverable	Deadline
Development of Regulatory Proposal	Complete
Consultations on policy intent, and MOC approval	May-21
Drafting regulations	Aug-21
Pre-Publication	Oct-21
Registration and final publication	Dec-21

Status Update

Consultations with VAC, DND, ESDC, CHRC, OCHRO completed.
Broader consultations with departments and agencies, bargaining agents and diversity networks expected to begin in May.

Summary of targeted programs

PSC/HRC Inventories

The Public Service Commission (PSC), in partnership with the Human Resources Council (HRC) has been actively moving forward with two initiatives to support government-wide hiring of persons with disabilities (PWD)
On March 31, 2021, two new ongoing inventories for persons with disabilities were launched in the fields of Data and Policy for positions in the Economics and Social Sciences Services (EC) groups and Digital Technology for positions in the Computer Systems (CS) groups. Consultations are underway for possible creation of future inventories in other streams, such as the sciences.
Each of these inventories has been successful in attracting over 100 candidates with disabilities in only one month.
In addition, we are collaborating with departments and agencies to establish a centralized repository of candidates with disabilities who have been found qualified and placed in departmental pools.
These candidates could be considered for job opportunities across the public service at a similar group and level without having to re-apply. A pilot is underway before broadening the scope.

Federal Student Work Experience Program (FSWEP)

FSWEP is the largest student employment program, which provides opportunities for students at all levels and in all programs of study to gain experience in the federal public service. Students are hired through FSWEP to work at organizations across Canada.
Students are encouraged to self declare as belonging to one or more Employment Equity group to support diverse hiring.

Employment Opportunity for Students with Disabilities (EOSD)

The Employment Opportunity for Students with Disabilities is a nationwide initiative that enables the recruitment and integration of students who identify as individuals with disabilities. As part of the Federal Student Work Experience Program (FSWEP), EOSD provides tools such as an onboarding process, training, activities, and support services designed for hiring managers and students with disabilities to increase retention.
As of April 30th, 2021, 3,910 students identifying as persons with disabilities are available through the Federal Student Work Experience Program (FSWEP) inventory.
Information sessions, coaching and mentoring will be offered to students hired this summer.
Between April 1 and February 2021, 331 students with disabilities were hired through FSWEP.

Indigenous Student Employment Opportunity (ISEO)

The Indigenous Student Employment Opportunity is a nationwide initiative that enables the recruitment and integration of students who identify as Indigenous. As part of the Federal Student Work Experience Program (FSWEP), ISEO provides tools such as an onboarding process, training, activities, and support services designed for hiring managers and students with disabilities to increase retention.
As of April 30th, 2021, 1,863 students identifying as Indigenous are available through the Federal Student Work Experience Program (FSWEP) inventory.
Information sessions, coaching and mentoring will be offered to students hired this summer.
Between April 1 and February 2021, 316 Indigenous students were hired through FSWEP.

Federal Internship Program for Canadians with Disabilities (FIPCD)

The Federal Internship Program for Canadians with Disabilities aims to increase the economic inclusion of 125 women, men and gender-diverse persons with physical and/or cognitive disabilities who have limited work experience, by developing key skills for future employment through 2-year internship opportunities.

Program provides:

50% of the salary costs;
coaching and counselling;
support guides and tools;
assessment accommodation(s); and
outreach to potential interns through partner associations

The first year (Cohort One) of the program resulted in 20 interns hired by nine organizations, at a range of group and levels (EC, AS, CS, PE, CR).

For Cohort Two, the PSC has worked with the Canadian Association of Supported Employment (CASE) and employment agencies across the country to identify candidates.

28 organizations are participating in Cohort Two of FIPCD to hire 55 interns.

In addition, qualified candidates are being considered for additional internship opportunities as well as being placed in a pool to be available to meet hiring needs.

Post-Secondary Recruitment (PSR)

Every year, the PSC launches a post-secondary recruitment campaign to recruit skilled and experienced college and university graduates to public service jobs.
Applicants are encouraged to self declare as belonging to one or more Employment Equity group to support diverse hiring.
Current available inventories:

2019–20

Communications
Procurement, contracting and project management
Policy, Economics and Social Sciences
Administrative Services
Information Management and Information Technology

2018

Technical Fields and Labour & Trades
Science, Nursing and Engineering

The PSC also has fully assessed pools for:

Human Resources (PE-1)
Emerging Talent Pool (EC-4)

Recruitment of Policy Leaders (RPL)

The Recruitment of Policy Leaders (RPL) program seeks to recruit exceptional Canadian graduates with diverse achievements and experience into mid-to senior-level policy positions across Government of Canada organizations.
The 2020 RPL campaign was launched October 27, 2020 and closed November 9, 2020. The campaign is being finalized and the pool will be made available to hiring organizations by the first week of June 2021.
The is an opportunity for the Program to recruit and qualify persons with disabilities and Indigenous candidates and the PSC continues to work with RPL to review the program to mitigate any potential barriers.

Indigenous Career Pathways

The Indigenous Career Pathway (ICP) is an initiative that aims to promote the hiring of Indigenous Peoples.
ICP provides managers and human resources specialists with expertise and support in the area of Aboriginal recruitment and combines two tools:
Inventory of Indigenous applicants (students and recent graduates);
The phase 2 of the inventory is underway which includes an updated list of graduates and will extend to Indigenous candidates qualified in various Government of Canada pools such as Post-Secondary Recruitment (PSR).
Indigenous recruitment toolkit: focuses on the Indigenous hiring process and consists of tools and resources to support departments to increase the engagement of Indigenous candidates.

Assessment Methods Cheat Sheet

Sample Assessment Methods	Potential Barriers	Potential Mitigation Measures
Interviews	Biased ratings	Diverse assessment board Structured rating guide Unconscious bias training of board members
	Culture specific language in questions	Conduct fairness review to ensure culture-free language where possible Involve equity groups in development of questions
Multiple Choice Knowledge Test	3-hour long test	Allow pause or breaks in test
	Speeded test (time pressure)	Provide sample questions in advance Unless response speed is part of the job and merit criteria, allow more generous time limits
Education and Experience Screening	Recent and extensive experience briefing ADMs and DMS Graduate degree	Consider adding non-public sector equivalents If qualification standards permit, consider adding alternatives to education, such as acceptable combination of education, training and experience.

Member profiles

Members Profile Senate Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology

May 2021

Senator Chantal Petitclerc

Chair Standing Committee Social Affairs, Science and Technology
Province: Quebec (Grandville)
Affiliation: Independent Senators Group

Biography

The Honourable Chantal Petitclerc is not only an internationally renowned athlete, but also a compassionate person. When she was 13 years old, she lost the use of her legs in an accident. While Petitclerc was developing her skills as a wheelchair athlete, she pursued her studies, first in social sciences at the CEGEP de Sainte-Foy and then in history at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. She overcame adversity and many obstacles to become a proven leader in the sports world. Her gold medals in the Paralympic Games, Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games, the various awards and accolades she has received, and her appointment as Team Canada’s Chef de Mission for the Rio Paralympic Games are all markers of her success.

Her many achievements and her personal journey have also made her an in-demand public speaker, recognized across Canada. She has been the spokesperson for Défi sportif AlterGo for 17 years and is an ambassador for the international organization Right to Play. A tireless advocate for the contributions people with disabilities have made to our society, she plays a definitive role in building a more inclusive society. Her example inspires people to overcome their obstacles and achieve their full potential.

Through her experiences, Senator Petitclerc has also learned a lot about the characteristics of various communities, as well as how decisions are made at the national level. As someone who has functional limitations herself, she has a good understanding of the needs of various minority communities and would like to ensure their voices are heard. The Senator is a Companion of the Order of Canada and a Knight of the Order of Quebec. She received the Lou Marsh Trophy for Canadian Athlete of the Year and was inducted into the Canadian Paralympic Hall of Fame. She has also received four honorary doctorates. In addition, Senator Petitclerc sits on various committees and boards of directors, where she provides her dynamic and unique perspective.

Topics raised by Ms. Petitclerc in the Senate that is of interest to the Public Service Commission.

Disabilities

But let me tell you, there is nothing more frustrating, when you are a person with a disability and vulnerable, than to feel as if you have no control over your own life. When you have a disability, the worst part is feeling as if you have no control over your own life and your own body. It happens to all people with disabilities, I can promise you that. It happens to me from time to time. This winter there will be a few times when, despite my strength and great autonomy, I will be physically unable to get from my car to the door of the Senate after a snowstorm, and I will hate it, and I will need help. This is normal. It does feel like your own body is betraying you. The more severe the disability, the more vulnerable you are, the bigger this betrayal feels. I can only imagine how someone would feel if they were vulnerable, in great pain and unable to have control over their own choice. That, to me, would be betrayal not only of the body but also from our country. (June 3, 2016)
Ensuring better accessibility for Canadians with disabilities remains a top priority and the coming year will be significant because the Government of Canada will be concluding its consultations to help inform the development of new accessibility legislation. (December 5, 2016)
If I only look at my friends with disabilities, some are doctors, lawyers, artists, athletes, politicians, and parents. This happens because we have this open mind. What we, as a country, tell all our kids with disabilities is that here in Canada you can do and be anything you want. I mean, you can even be a senator. How cool is that? .(December 5, 2016)
According to a recent Angus Reid poll, half of disabled Canadians do not find work even though their disability does not prevent them from working. Statistics Canada came to a similar conclusion in 2014 and even noted that disabled workers earn less than their colleagues who do similar work. For example, despite the fact that 14 per cent of Canadians 15 and older are disabled, persons with disabilities account for less than 1 per cent of people in the workplace, even here in this chamber. Fortunately, we all earn the same salary. (February 16, 2017)
Honourable colleagues, barriers to employment still exist. We heard about them over and over during the consultations that should soon result in a new federal accessibility law. More and more potential workers with disabilities have post-secondary qualifications and the skills to be not a burden, but active, productive citizens, yet our society still does not have the right infrastructure to make it easier for people to get to and around at work. (February 16, 2017)
Building back better, with more inclusion and more diversity is a great invitation. We are over 6 million persons with a disability in Canada, from coast to coast to coast, each one of us unique, with diverse challenges and opportunities. One thing that we all agree on is more can and should be done. So, to our government, I want to say we are looking forward to your commitment made in the Speech from the Throne. This pandemic has shown us that when it comes to persons with disabilities, too many are still in a situation of social or economic vulnerability. We all know this, and now is the time to act. (December 3, 2020)

Canada Post—Protection of Rights for People with Disabilities

Madam Minister. Canada Post's 2013 decision to halt home mail delivery created yet another obstacle for Canadians with disabilities and functional limitations. Canada Post came under fire for that unexpected decision then as now. Yes, Canada Post must adapt to 21st-century realities, but certainly not at the expense of an accessible and inclusive Canada. (October 18, 2016)

Gender

I rise with pleasure today to support Bill C-210, an act to amend the National Anthem Act (gender) (November 2, 2016)
I rise today in support of Bill C-16, An Act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code. This bill proposes amendments to two acts in order to add the terms "gender identity" and "gender expression." (February 9, 2017)

Senator Patricia Bovey

Deputy Chair Standing Committee Social Affairs, Science and Technology

Province: Manitoba (Manitoba)

Affiliation: Progressive Senate Group

Biography

Before being appointed to the Senate on November 10th, 2016, the Honourable Patricia Bovey was a Winnipeg-based gallery director and curator, art historian, writer, professor and, for many years, a management consultant in the arts and not-for-profit sector.

Formerly Director of the Winnipeg Art Gallery (1999-2004) and the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria (1980-1999), she was appointed Director Emerita of the Winnipeg Art Gallery in 2014. She was a founder of the Buhler Gallery at St Boniface Hospital; the University of Winnipeg’s Manitoba Arts and Culture Management Program, and MA in Curatorial Practice; the British Columbia Government House Foundation and the National Fundraising Society (NSFRE) Vancouver Island Chapter. Director/Curator of the Buhler Gallery from its 2007 inception to Dec 2016, she is Adjunct Professor of Art History at the University of Winnipeg. She writes and lectures widely on Western Canadian art.

Former Chair of the Board of Governors of the University of Manitoba, she has served on the Boards of the National Gallery of Canada (2005 – 2009) and the Canada Council for the Arts (1990-1993); the 1986 Withrow/Richard Federal Task Force on National and Regional Museums; the National Board for the Canadian Center for Cultural Management at the University of Waterloo (2002-2010); is a past Chair of the Board of Governors of Emily Carr University and of the Canadian Art Museum Directors Organization. She was a member of the Public Art Committee of the City of Winnipeg (2003-2007), and of the Mayor’s Task Force on Public Art to develop Winnipeg’s Public Art Policy (2002-2003). Former member of the Board of the University of Manitoba Press, she presently serves on the Eckhardt-Gramatté Foundation. She served as Board Chair of the Centre for Contemporary Canadian Art and was a member of the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation; the Manitoba Rhodes Scholarship and Loran Scholarship Selection committees; the board of Manitoba Artists in Healthcare and the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra.

The recipient of the 2015 Winnipeg Arts Council Investors Making a Difference Award, Senator Bovey’s honours include her appointment as Fellow of the UK’s Royal Society for the Arts, and as Fellow of the Canadian Museums Association; the Canada 125 Medal; the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal; Winnipeg’s 2002 Woman of Distinction for the Arts; the Canadian Museums Association Distinguished Service Award; the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts Medal; and the 2013 Association of Manitoba Museum’s inaugural Award of Merit.

Involved in international projects, touring exhibitions and artist exchanges, she was an official guest of the Japan Foundation, the British Council, the Government of France, has lectured in the US and Britain and been involved in special initiatives in Finland, Iceland Norway and China.

Bovey’s consulting since 2005 has focused on governance, policy development and strategic and business planning for galleries, museums and multi-disciplinary arts organizations.

Topics raised by Ms. Bovey in the Senate that is of interest to the Public Service Commission.

Black Artists

I thank all who had a hand in the Senate presentation Honouring Canada’s Black Artists installed in the foyer outside this chamber. I thank our Speaker for allowing the use of the space, the Advisory Working Group on Artwork and Heritage, CIBA steering members, Senators Moodie and Ravalia, my staff, Senate curator Tamara Dolan and our administration. I particularly applaud and thank the artists for their visual insights and for permission to show these works for our and Canadians’ reflection. (September 30, 2020)
Honourable senators, today I pay tribute to Black History Month, honouring contributions of Canada’s Black visual artists. Too little is known about them and their work; far too little is exhibited. (February 27, 2019)

Senator Rose-May Poirier

Deputy Chair Standing Committee Social Affairs, Science and Technology
Province: New Brunswick (Saint-Louis-de-Kent)
Affiliation: Conservative Party of Canada

Biography

Prior to entering provincial politics, Rose-May Poirier was a successful businessperson, working as an insurance representative for Assomption Vie and as an executive VIP manager for Tupperware Canada. During her career, she received numerous distinctions as a sales leader, manager and recruiter, including leading one of the top sales teams in Canada and as one of the best salespeople in North America.

Her political career began at the municipality level where she served two terms on the Saint-Louis de Kent town council. In 1999, Rose-May Poirier made the jump to provincial politics, representing the people of Rogersville-Kouchibouguac for three terms. As an MLA of the Progressive - Conservative Party, Senator Rose-May Poirier was the 1st women to chair the P.C. caucus. Upon her re-election on June 9, 2003, she was appointed Minister of the Office of Human Resources and 2 years later, in February 2006, she was named Minister of Local Government and Minister responsible for Aboriginal Affairs.

Appointed to the Senate in 2010, Senator Poirier was previously the Senate Conservative Caucus Chair and the Vice Chair of the National Conservative Caucus. She was also previously a member of the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Peoples and currently sits on the Standing Committees for Fisheries & Oceans, Foreign Affairs & as Deputy Chair of Official Languages.

In her community, Senator Poirier has given a lot of her time to various causes: Child Find, Children’s Wish Foundation, Heart and Stroke Foundation, George L. Dumont Tree of Hope campaign and the Friends of the Moncton Hospital as well as economic development for the Kent region.

Ms. Poirier lives in Saint-Louis de Kent with her husband, Donald. They have two daughters and four grandchildren.

Topics raised by Ms. Poirier in the Senate that is of interest to the Public Service Commission.

Francophone Rights

My question is for the Leader of the Government in the Senate. Senator Harder, on Tuesday morning, I had the pleasure of meeting with stakeholders from the francophone post-secondary teaching community, who shared their concerns about the negotiations on the new Official Languages in Education Program, or OLEP, which continue to drag on. Under this program, the federal government provides financial support for minority language education and second-language instruction. (April 11, 2019)
As of April 1, francophone RCMP cadets no longer have access to training in French. They have to register for bilingual training. It is a major blow to francophone minority communities, especially in rural regions where the RCMP provides services. As they indicate in their letter, Conservative MPs Alupa Clarke and Pierre Paul-Hus consider this to be a violation of the Official Languages Act. Why does your government support this decision and when will you reinstate the francophone program? (May 8, 2019)
Fifty years ago, on April 18, 1969, the legislative assembly in Fredericton passed the Official Languages Act under the leadership of Louis J. Robichaud, also known as “Little Louis”, the first Acadian premier in the history of New Brunswick. This act made French and English the two official languages of New Brunswick. It recognizes the fundamental right of New Brunswickers to receive government services in the official language of their choice. As a result, New Brunswick became the only officially bilingual province in Canada. This law made New Brunswick’s francophone and Acadian population full-fledged citizens. For us, New Brunswickers, that date in history changed our lives, our paths, and the way we interact with our neighbours. (May 1, 2019)

Senator Robert Black

Province : Ontario (Ontario)

Affiliation: Canadian Senators Group

Biography

The Honourable Rob Black has worked in the rural, agricultural, and leadership arenas for much of his working career.

He has had close involvement in 4-H and other leadership programs, such as Junior Farmers and the Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program (AALP). He credits his involvement in these programs with allowing him to develop the skills that would lead him to apply to be a senator. He has been involved in 4-H for almost 50 years in all aspects of the program, at the local, provincial and national levels and is a Past President of the Canadian 4-H Council.

Rob was Ward 5 Representative on Wellington County Council. He has also been Manager of the Ontario Research and Development Challenge Fund, and President of the Ontario Agricultural Hall of Fame Association and the Wellington County Historical Society.

Rob worked with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) for 15 years. Following his time at OMAFRA, he spent 5 years as the Executive Director of 4-H Ontario. Rob then accepted the role of Executive Director of The Centre for Rural Leadership, which morphed into the Rural Ontario Institute (ROI).

In 2012, in recognition of Rob’s significant contributions to 4-H across Canada over many years, he received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. In 2013, Rob was awarded the Outstanding Leadership Program Director Award from the International Association of Programs for Agricultural Leadership (IAPAL) and in 2016, Rob was made an Honorary Member of the Canadian 4-H Council.

Rob applied to be a senator in July 2016, after some prompting from his son, Tayler. In February 2018 he received a call from the Prime Minister, summoning him to the Senate to represent the province of Ontario. The Prime Minister told Rob specifically that he wanted him to bring his background in agriculture, rural community development, and leadership development to the Senate.

On February 27, 2018, Rob was sworn in as a senator representing the province of Ontario. Since then, he has been working on several issues of importance to Canadians through his role and is a member of the Standing Committees on Agriculture and Forestry; Social Affairs, Science and Technology; Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament; and, the Joint Committee on the Library of Parliament.

Rob and his wife Julie live north of Fergus, ON and have four grown children and two grandsons.

Senator Black is Chair of the Canadian Senators Group (CSG).

Topics raised by Mr. Black in the Senate that is of interest to the Public Service Commission.

Internet Access

Without fast and reliable internet access, people in rural and remote communities face a major disadvantage, especially in this new reality that requires us to work, study and communicate using the internet. Students can’t be guaranteed a reliable connection. Youth are prevented from participating in extracurricular groups and leadership programs like 4-H. I, myself, regularly had trouble connecting for Senate committee meetings. (June 18, 2020)

Senator Donna Dasko

Province : Ontario (Ontario)

Affiliation: Independent Senators Group

Biographie

Donna Dasko was appointed to the Senate by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on June 6, 2018.

She is a respected national pollster, media commentator, and private sector business leader with considerable public policy experience. She holds a Ph.D. and MA from the University of Toronto and a BA (Hons) from the University of Manitoba.

Dr. Dasko was formerly Senior Vice-President of Environics Research Group Ltd and built the firm from a small consultancy into one of Canada’s leading research firms. During her career, she led major research studies for federal and provincial departments and agencies, private sector clients, and NGOs, in areas including the economy, budget priorities, tobacco control, health promotion, national unity, and many others. She was a leader in developing media-sponsored polling including the Globe-Environics Poll and election and special feature polling for the CBC.

As a community volunteer, she served in many roles including President of St. Stephen’s Community House, Director of the United Way of Greater Toronto, Governor of the Canadian Unity Council (devoted to Canadian unity and federalism), Chair of the National CEO Roundtable for the Alzheimer Society, and Advisor to GreenPac (which promotes environmental leadership).

Dr. Dasko’s passion for the promotion of women in politics has guided much of her advocacy. She is a Co-Founder and former National Chair of Equal Voice, a non-partisan organization aimed at electing more women in Canada. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF), which promotes equality rights for women. In 2015, she co-founded the Campaign for an Equal Senate for Canada, an initiative to promote a gender-equal Senate. She works with National Democratic Institute on issues related to women in politics internationally.

She is a Senior Fellow at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy and taught in its master’s program before her Senate appointment. She is a member of Statistics Canada’s Advisory Committee on Social Conditions.

Dr. Dasko was born and raised in Winnipeg. She has two children, a daughter and son.

Topics raised by Ms. Dasko in the Senate that is of interest to the Public Service Commission.

Women / Gender

Honourable senators, on February 16, 1967, Prime Minister Lester Pearson announced the establishment of the Royal Commission on the Status of Women in Canada. The report of that royal commission was tabled on December 7, 1970; exactly 50 years ago. It was a milestone in the struggle to advance equality rights for women in this country. (December 8, 2020)
In reviewing this bill, however, I am puzzled by two omissions with respect to gender equality and analysis. First, the Charter statement tabled by the Minister of Justice on May 22, 2018, with respect to Bill C-78 is silent on how it meets section 15 of the Charter, the equality rights section. Thus, we do not have the benefit of the government’s analysis on how Bill C-78 addresses substantive equality. Second, the government has not provided any GBA+ analysis of Bill C-78. We cannot continue to talk about the importance of gender and intersectional analyses and then fail to do these analyses, let alone fail to act on what they tell us. I urge the committee studying Bill C-78 to take particular care to consider the extent to which the bill meets or does not meet our Charter obligations, as well as our international obligations mentioned earlier. (April 2, 2019)
A century after gaining the right to hold federal public office, women in Canada remain significantly under-represented in the House of Commons, holding only 29% of the seats after the 2019 federal election compared to women representing just over 50% of our population. (February 26, 2020)

French

My question is as follows: Will you publicly urge your friend and my premier, the Premier of Ontario, to increase French-language services in the province of Ontario and to implement official bilingualism for the province of Ontario? (December 8, 2020)

Data

Senator, as I looked at several of the agreements between the federal government and the provinces, I saw no mention of the federal government receiving data in exchange for federal dollars. Only in the British Columbia agreement is it mentioned that it explicitly commits to share data with Health Canada and CIHI. There is no mention of the federal government receiving data from Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Alberta under their agreements. Maybe there is fine print somewhere that I haven’t seen. Has the federal government made the funding to the provinces in the Safe Restart Agreement contingent upon the provinces sharing the data they collect with the federal government? It seems this data would be essential to your government in fulfilling your promise to set new evidence-based national standards for long-term care and to inform your efforts to build back better in the wake of the pandemic.(October 2, 2020)

Racism

Systemic racism is pervasive in this country. I have listened with concern as so many of our colleagues have relayed their experiences with racism over the past several days and weeks, for example, Senator Moodie’s portrayal of life as a black person in Canada; Senator Omidvar’s account of double standards right here in the Senate; Senator Anderson’s account of living as an Indigenous Canadian and raising Indigenous children in a world where racism is a daily lived experience. (June 23, 2020)
According to the 2016 census, for example, black Canadians earn significantly less than non-racialized Canadians, regardless of how long their families have been in Canada. First-generation black Canadians earn about $13,000 less annually than immigrants who are not members of visible minorities, and third-generation black Canadians still earn $16,000 less than third-generation non-visible minorities. Black Canadians are nearly twice as likely as non-visible minorities to experience low incomes and to have higher unemployment levels. (June 23, 2020)

Senator Josée Forest-Niesing

Province: Ontario (Ontario)

Affiliation: Independent Senators Group

Biography

Josée Forest-Niesing lives in Sudbury, Ontario. A lawyer by profession, she began her career in family law and continued to specialize in estate law, real property law, insurance law, civil law, education law and employment law.

She led numerous cases through trial in Sudbury and surrounding jurisdictions, as well as in Toronto. In addition, she has been a Superior Court of Justice Small Claims Court judge and a member of several professional associations and committees.

Ms. Forest-Niesing is proud to be Franco-Ontarian and to have recently discovered her Métis heritage. She is very dedicated to, and has passionately defended and promoted, access to justice in both official languages throughout her career. In addition to practicing law for nearly 20 years at a law firm providing services in French, she has contributed to her community as a member or chair of numerous boards of directors, including the Art Gallery of Sudbury, the Carrefour francophone de Sudbury, and the University of Sudbury. She was also appointed to the Ontario Arts Council in January 2018.

As a student, she was a member of the Association des juristes d’expression française de l’Ontario (AJEFO). She became a member of its board of directors, eventually serving two terms as its president. She subsequently joined the board of directors of the Fédération des associations de juristes d’expression française de common law in order to pursue the same objectives on a national level. She was the founding chair of the Centre canadien de français juridique as well as chair of the Ontario Bar Association’s Official Languages Committee.

Ms. Forest-Niesing is a recipient of the AJEFO’s Order of Merit and was inducted into the University of Ottawa’s Common Law Honour Society.

Topics raised by Ms. Forest-Niesing in the Senate that is of interest to the Public Service Commission.

Official Languages

The pandemic has had an unequal and unfair impact on the most vulnerable. Serious and justified concerns have been expressed regarding our long-term care facilities, racialized and Indigenous populations, the increased demand on an already overloaded health system and increased risks for domestic violence, to name but a few. Many of my fellow honourable senators have rightly argued that the uncertainty of a crisis like this one should never be compounded by disregard for our human rights. The same applies to our language rights. (November 3, 2020)

Systemic racism

I rise today to add my voice to the urgent global appeal to address the systemic racism that has plagued us for far too long. It is unacceptable that Afro-Canadians, Indigenous peoples and all visible minorities in Canada face injustice and suffering. It is especially unacceptable in a nation that is founded on democratic principles, that has a charter of rights and freedoms for all citizens, and whose society is ethnically and culturally diverse. Systemic racism does not mean that all Canadians are racist or have discriminatory tendencies. Rather, it means that racism, in all its forms, whether they be conscious or unconscious, causes additional difficulties and insurmountable challenges for some groups in their daily lives. It’s more difficult for them to find housing and employment, and they are perceived as less trustworthy. They face greater distrust. They are at a greater risk of physical and psychological violence and, as we know all too well, of being killed by that violence. (June 18, 2020)

Senator Linda Frum

Province : Ontario (Ontario)

Affiliation : Conservative Party of Canada

Biography

The Honourable Linda Frum was appointed to the Senate of Canada in 2009 by Prime Minister Stephen Harper. She represents the Province of Ontario.

She is a member of the Conservative Senate Caucus and is the former Conservative Senate Caucus Chair. She has served on the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee, the Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration Committee, and the Banking, Trade and Commerce Committee. She currently sits on the Committee of Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament and the standing Committee for the Library of Parliament.

A fierce advocate for human rights in Iran, Senator Frum has co-sponsored Iran Accountability Week on Parliament Hill. She is also known for her legislative efforts to eliminate foreign funding in Canadian elections. Introduced in the 42nd Parliament, the Eliminating Foreign Funding in Elections Act (Bill S-239) sought to close a loophole that allows Canadian third-party groups to use foreign funds for election purposes.
Senator Frum also successfully introduced Canadian Jewish Heritage Month Act (Bill S-232) which designates the month of May as an officially recognized month to honour the contributions of Canada’s Jewish community.

Senator Frum is also an active member of her community. Currently, she serves as Chair of the Board of Directors for the United Jewish Appeal of Greater Toronto and serves on the board of the United Israel Appeal. She is a member of the International Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation Committee. She is also a director of the Conservative Fund of Canada. She also serves as a board member for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

She has previously served as the vice chair of the board of Upper Canada College, as well as a board member with Bishop Strachan School, the Art Gallery of Ontario Foundation and Mount Sinai Hospital.

In recognition of her civic contributions, Senator Frum has received the Golda Meir Leadership Award from the State of Israel Bonds, an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Yeshiva University, and the Rothschild Humanitarian Award from Shaare Zedek Hospital. Last year she was awarded an honorary degree from Hebrew University for her leadership based on the principles of equality, freedom and human rights.

A former journalist and author, Senator Frum was a columnist with the National Post, a contributing editor to Maclean’s Magazine, and a Gemini-Award winning documentarian. She lives in Toronto with her husband Howard Sokolowski and together they have five children and two grandchildren.

Topics raised by Ms. Frum in the Senate that is of interest to the Public Service Commission.

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Senator Stan Kutcher

Province: Nova Scotia (Nova Scotia)
Affiliation: Independent Senators Group

Biography

Dr. Stan Kutcher is a leading psychiatrist and professor who has helped young people successfully manage major mental illnesses. His appointment to the Senate allows him to put his decades of medical, academic and policy expertise at the service of all Canadians.

One of three boys born to post-Second World War refugees from Ukraine, Dr. Kutcher studied history and political science before earning a medical degree from McMaster University. He continued his education in Toronto and in Edinburgh, Scotland before returning to Canada and joining the University of Toronto.

It was there that he made his first of many major contributions to Canadian health care, taking Sunnybrook Hospital’s adolescent psychiatry division and transforming it into an innovative clinical and research facility. He also pioneered research into the causes of and treatments for youth with major mental illnesses such as bipolar illness, schizophrenia, and depression.

Dr. Kutcher then became Head of the Psychiatry Department at Dalhousie University followed by appointments as Associate Dean for International Heath and the Sun Life Financial Chair in Adolescent Mental Health. His work has ranged from clinical research to medical education innovations and he has developed and helped deploy innovative school mental health literacy and youth mental health care capacity building programs in primary health care. He has published over 400 articles and authored, co-authored, or edited numerous books on various aspects of mental health, including adolescent brain development, psychopharmacology, school mental health and suicide.

Dr. Kutcher has also shared his training and policy development expertise with people and organizations in over 20 countries. He has worked in sub-Saharan Africa, China, Latin America and the Caribbean.

In addition to his professional practice, Dr. Kutcher is involved in his community. He has served on the board of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia and the board of the Spryfield Boys and Girls Club. He also led the development of a national youth mental health framework for Canada as a member of the Child and Youth Advisory Committee of the Mental Health Commission of Canada — which came into being as a direct result of the Senate’s ground-breaking 2006 report, Out of the Shadows at Last: Transforming Mental Health, Mental Illness and Addiction Services in Canada.

Dr. Kutcher has also received numerous awards and honours for his work, including the Order of Nova Scotia, the Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry’s Naomi Rae-Grant and Paul D. Steinhauer Advocacy awards, the McMaster University Distinguished Alumni Award and the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada’s John Ruedy Award for Innovation in Medical Education.

As a senator, Dr. Kutcher continues to advocate on behalf of young people with mental illness while representing the interests of Nova Scotians in Parliament.

Dr. Kutcher is married to Jan Sheppard Kutcher, whose work has addressed the successful integration of immigrants into their professional careers in Canada. They live in Herring Cove, Nova Scotia, and have three adult children and seven grandchildren.

Topics raised by Dr. Kutcher in the Senate that is of interest to the Public Service Commission.

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Senator Fabian Manning

Province: Newfoundland and Labrador (Newfoundland and Labrador)
Affiliation: Conservative Party of Canada

Biography

Fabian Manning has dedicated his career to serving Newfoundlanders and Labradorians at all three levels of government. A three-term councilor in the town of St. Brides, Mr. Manning served as coordinator for the Cape Shore Area Development Association for three years. Mr. Manning would go on to win three elections to the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly as the representative for Placentia – St. Mary’s. Mr. Manning was subsequently elected as Member of Parliament in the federal constituency of Avalon in the 2006 Federal Election campaign. Mr. Manning would go on to chair both the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans as well as the Conservative Government’s Atlantic caucus.

Issues of Interest: Fisheries and Oceans.

Topics raised by Mr. Manning in the Senate or at committee that is of interest to the Public Service Commission.

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Senator Marie-Françoise Mégie

Province: Quebec (Rougemont)
Affiliation: Independent Senators Group

Biography

Senator Marie-Françoise Mégie was appointed to the Senate on November 25, 2016, by the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau. Senator Mégie represents the province of Québec and the Senatorial Division of Rougemont.

Senator Mégie’s professional career encompasses over 35 years as a family physician and nearly 30 years as a university professor. Born in Haiti, she arrived in Quebec in 1976, and rose through the ranks of the medical profession while also pursuing university teaching, becoming a clinical associate professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Montréal.

She helped establish the Maison de soins palliatifs de Laval in 2009, where she served as medical director until December 31, 2016.

Her medical practice focused on providing health care services for seniors, persons with severe disabilities and end-of-life patients.

Senator Mégie served as President of the Association of Haitian Physicians Abroad (AMHE) for five years and chaired the organization Médecins francophones du Canada from 2014 to 2016.

She was also the editor-in-chief of the Médecins francophones du Canada’s newsletter.

Dr. Mégie has received numerous awards for her professional, volunteer and personal contributions.

Topics raised by Dr. Mégie in the Senate that is of interest to the Public Service Commission.

Gender

I rise today to speak in support of Bill S-213, sponsored by Senator McCallum. This bill amends the Department for Women and Gender Equality Act to require the minister to examine the potential effects of certain bills on women and to report to Parliament accordingly. The department used to be called Status of Women Canada. In my opinion, gender-based analysis should be a requirement. GBA+ indicates the potential effects that a certain bill would have on women, particularly Indigenous women, but also on other segments of the population. Reiterating the primary objective, which is to promote equity among all Canadians in order to make our society truly equal, Bill S-213 will force us to reflect on the crucial role that Indigenous culture and gender play in policy development and implementation. (November 19, 2020)

Racism

My second question is for Minister Chagger and has to do with the possibility of creating a special joint committee because, as you know, systemic racism is an important issue for both chambers. In your view, should we create, through a motion adopted by both chambers, a special joint committee to implement the recommendations for eliminating systemic racism in Canada? (June 25, 2020)
Please pay attention and listen to the interpretation, because as a black, francophone woman, I sometimes feel as though my voice, and the community’s voice, is not being heard. How can we expect to be understood by the majority if we don’t even make an effort to be systematically heard? Today I’m calling on our Senate to resolve into a committee of the whole to study the urgent issue of systemic racism in Canada. This is a historic opportunity to address racism once and for all. I hope that no one here will stand in the way of our earning the respect of the people we are meant to serve. (June 17, 2020)

Black History

This year’s theme is “Canadians of African Descent: Going forward, guided by the past,” based on the United Nations’ recommendations in the context of the International Decade for People of African Descent, from 2015 to 2024. Those recommendations encourage governments to take concrete action to promote and protect the human rights of people of African descent. These measures must be established in the spirit of recognition, justice and development. (February 18, 2020)

Disabilities

I resolutely support one of the bill’s essential principles: that Canadians with disabilities have the opportunity to participate in decisions that affect them. I enthusiastically support the passage in the bill’s preamble stating that “Parliament considers that it is essential to ensure the economic, social and civic participation of all persons in Canada, regardless of their disabilities, and to allow them to fully exercise their rights and responsibilities in a barrier-free Canada”. I also believe that the federal government has made significant progress in its approach to addressing issues that affect accessibility for persons with disabilities. (March 18, 2019)

Senator Rosemary Moodie

Province: Ontario (Ontario)
Affiliation: Independent Senators Group

Biography

Senator, The Honourable Rosemary Moodie was appointed to the Senate of Canada by the Governor General of Canada, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette on December 12, 2018. Dr. Moodie is an independent Senator representing Ontario and sits on the standing committee of Agriculture and Forestry.

Senator Moodie is a Jamaican-born paediatrician and neonatologist. After graduating from the University of the West Indies, she completed postgraduate training in Paediatric and Neonatal/Perinatal Medicine at Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. She is senior neonatologist, clinical teacher and associate professor in the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Toronto. She is Fellow of Royal College of Physicians of Canada and Fellow of American Academy of Pediatrics. Her research has focused on the social determinants of breastfeeding practice and she has written extensively on regional health services and physician human resource planning. Her vibrant community paediatric practice serves neighbourhood priority areas in Toronto. She obtained a Master of Business Administration, Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto and a Master of Public Administration, School of Policy Studies at Queen’s University.

Senator Moodie is a well-recognized national and international medical leader. She has supported organizations and stakeholders in policy development and advocacy to improve health equity and expand quality health care access to the most vulnerable, underserved, and marginalized population. Her work included Corporate Chief of Paediatrics and Medical Director of the Regional Maternal Child Program Rouge Valley Health System; Maternal, Child, Youth, and Gynaecology Lead for Central East Local Health Integration Network; and regional and provincial committees, such as the Child Health Network and Provincial Council of Children’s Health. Her expertise also includes health care planning locally and internationally.

Further, Senator Moodie is an Accreditation Canada hospital surveyor with extensive experience improving the quality of health care delivery across Canada and worldwide.

Senator Moodie has been a strong advocate for woman and girls. Her contributions to reducing social inequities and health disparities among children and communities have been significant. She is on the Board of Directors for the inaugural board of Providence Healthcare, St. Joseph’s Health Centre, and St. Michael’s Hospital (Unity Health Toronto) and the ScotiaBank Jamaica Foundation. She was the President and Board Chair of the YWCA Toronto when the Elm Centre was completed. The Elm Centre is Canada’s largest affordable housing project for single low-income women, women with mental health and addiction issues, and families of Aboriginal ancestry. She has served on numerous other not-for-profit boards in health, education and social development.

Senator Moodie’s distinctions through service include the Order of Distinction – Commander Rank from the Government of Jamaica; Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons - Prix d’excellence – Specialist of the Year; Canadian Paediatric Society - Distinguished Community Paediatrician; University of Toronto Alumni Association - Community Engagement Award; College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario - Council Award; City of Toronto - Access and Human Rights Constance E. Hamilton Award on the Status of Women; Ontario Medical Association – Presidential Award; Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto - Top 10 High Achieving Women; Harry Jerome Health Sciences Award; Top 25 Canadian Women of Influence; 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women; The University of the West Indies Alumni -Distinguished Service Award for Maternal and Child Health; Canadian Paediatric Society - Award of Merit; and Ontario Medical Association - Glenn Sawyer Community Service Award.

Issues of Interest: Neonatology, pediatrics, health care delivery.

Topics raised by Dr. Moodie in the Senate that is of interest to the Public Service Commission.

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Senator Ratna Omidvar

Province: Ontario (Ontario)
Affiliation: Independent Senators Group

Biography

Ratna Omidvar is an internationally recognized voice on migration, diversity and inclusion. She came to Canada from Iran in 1981 and her own experiences of displacement, integration and citizen engagement have been the foundation of her work. In April 2016, Ms. Omidvar was appointed to the Senate of Canada as an independent senator representing Ontario. As a member of the Senate’s Independent Senators Group she holds a leadership position as Liaison. Senator Omidvar also served as Deputy Chair of the Special Senate Committee on the Charitable Sector.

Senator Omidvar is a Director at the Samara Centre for Democracy, a Director at the Century Initiative, a Councillor on the World Refugee and Migration Council and Chair Emerita for the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council.

Previously at Ryerson University, Senator Omidvar was a Distinguished Visiting Professor and founded the Global Diversity Exchange, a think-and-do tank on diversity, migration and inclusion. Prior to her appointments at Ryerson, Senator Omidvar was the President of Maytree, where she played a lead role in local, national and international efforts to promote the integration of immigrants.

Senator Omidvar is co-author of Flight and Freedom: Stories of Escape to Canada (2015), an Open Book Toronto best book of 2015 and one of the Toronto Star's top five good reads from Word on the Street. She is also a contributor to The Harper Factor (2016) and co-editor of Five Good Ideas: Practical Strategies for Non-Profit Success (2011). Senator Omidvar received a Honorary Degree, Doctor of Laws, from Ryerson University in 2018 and from York University in 2012.

Senator Omidvar was appointed to the Order of Ontario in 2005 and became a Member of the Order of Canada in 2011, with both honours recognizing her advocacy work on behalf of immigrants and devotion to reducing inequality in Canada. In 2014, she received the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in recognition of her contribution to the advancement of German-Canadian relations.
Senator Omidvar has also been recognized by Canada's national newspaper, The Globe and Mail, by being named as its Nation Builder of the Decade for Citizenship in 2010. She was named to the inaugural Global Diversity List sponsored by The Economist magazine in 2015, as one of the Top 10 Diversity Champions worldwide. In 2016, she also received Lifetime Achievement Awards from CivicAction and the Canadian Urban Institute, honouring her strong commitment to civic leadership and city building. In 2018, Senator Omidvar was named as one of the RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award winners and in 2019 she received the Dr. Jean Mayer Global Citizenship Award from Tufts University.

Issues of Interest: Migration, immigration, reducing inequality.

Topics raised by Ms. Omidvar in the Senate that is of interest to the Public Service Commission.

Nil

In the news - Revue de presse

1.1 Trudeau government considers legislative changes to make public service more diverse

The Trudeau Liberals are eyeing changes to the law governing public service hiring to help make federal departments and agencies more diverse. They also plan to do further research on the makeup of the federal public service and will try to hire more senior leaders with varied backgrounds.

Treasury Board President Jean-Yves Duclos and his parliamentary secretary, Greg Fergus, are spelled out the priorities Tuesday to foster greater diversity, inclusion and accessibility in the public service.

The government says while there has been some progress for Black Canadians, Indigenous Peoples and others who face racial discrimination in the workplace, too many public servants continue to face obstacles.

The Treasury Board Secretariat has begun discussions about the framework for recruitment in the public service and is specifically looking at ''possible amendments'' to the Public Service Employment Act.

The act is intended to ensure federal hiring is fair, transparent and representative.

But Chris Aylward, national president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, says he hears complaints from members about how it works.

''It sounds like everything is there,'' Aylward said Tuesday. ''But in practical terms, the way that it's applied, the way that managers go about doing staffing ? it's far, far from perfect.''

The examination of the Public Service Employment Act would complement Labour Minister Filomena Tassi's planned review of the Employment Equity Act, a law aimed at protecting workers from discrimination and other unfair treatment. The government recently released data that provides more detail about the composition of the public service.

Duclos and Fergus say the annual public service employee survey will help the government identify more precisely where gaps remain and what is needed to improve representation.

The government plans to increase diversity through promotion and recruitment, including introduction of the Mentorship Plus Program to allow departments to offer mentoring and sponsorship opportunities to high-potential employees who might currently face barriers.

The government says although progress will take time, the public service can be a model of inclusion for employers across the country and around the world.

''In time, we will build a public service that is the true reflection of our pluralism and diversity,'' Duclos said in a statement.

Just last week, Privy Council Clerk Ian Shugart issued a call to action on anti-racism, equity and inclusion in the public service, setting out federal expectations for current leaders.

''We must encourage and support the voices that have long been marginalized in our organizations,'' Shugart wrote.

''We must create opportunities where they have long been absent. We must take direct, practical actions to invoke change. This is a true test of leadership, and one we must meet head on. Now.''

The government has also launched the Centre for Diversity and Inclusion, supported by a budget of $12 million, to create an ongoing discussion about change. ''There is much to do before all public servants can feel they truly belong in a public service that values inclusiveness and differences,'' Fergus said.

''Outlining these key areas of focus is a key step in taking concrete action.'' - Canadian Press Newswire - 2021-01-26 | 2021-01-27 04:38 (EST)

1.2 Tackle bias in public service, urge advocates

The federal government must address anti-Black racism in the public service by implementing timely changes to staffing processes and effective training programs for public servants, not by long-term promises, advocates say.

The Liberals pledged in the 2021 budget to make changes to the Public Service Employment Act that aim to promote a more diverse and inclusive workforce and to spend $285 million over five years to collect disaggregated data that will help in understanding the experiences of people of colour in Canada.

Nicholas Marcus Thompson, one of 12 current and former Black federal workers who filed in December a proposed class-action lawsuit in Federal Court against the government, said their action is one of the reasons that the government made these promises.

He said it shouldn't take the government five years to collect disaggregated data to understand the under-representation of Black workers in the upper echelons of the public service and to take down barriers they face. "The time frame is very long and Black workers continue to suffer and show up to work injured every day," he said. "There's a lot of mental health issues associated with the discrimination, the systemic discrimination, that Black workers have faced and continue to face - a lot of racial trauma that Black workers are facing."

The plaintiffs are alleging systemic discrimination in how the federal government has hired and promoted thousands of public servants for nearly half a century.

None of the allegations has been tested in court. The plaintiffs are waiting for a certification hearing scheduled for June. Treasury Board spokesperson Martin Potvin said it's premature to comment on the lawsuit, but the government will consider all options, including alternative dispute resolution, as it seeks to address the concerns raised. The national president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada said anti-Black racism in the federal public service is widespread. Chris Aylward said there's limited opportunities for career growth or advancement due to systemic exclusion of Black employees. "There's no doubt in my mind about that and it's not specific to any one department or agency. I think it's government-wide."

Norma Domey, executive vice-president of the Professional Institute of Public Service of Canada, said she is the first Black executive in her institute's 100-year history.

"It's heavy on me to try to push the envelope for our folks and push diversity, and it just makes my job harder," she said. She said non-advertised appointments have dramatically increased to 60 per cent in 2020 compared to 29 per cent of all appointments in 2016. - National Post (NATIONAL) | CANADA | A4 - Maan Alhmidi - 2021-05-03 | 2021-05-03 00:26 (EST)

1.3 Budget rhetoric on public service isn't much help

Buried in the Trudeau government's 2021 budget released Monday is a throwaway line promising changes to the Public Service Employment Act to "affirm the importance of a diverse and inclusive workforce and avoid biases and barriers in hiring." The "biases and barriers" in question are not identified, and there are no moneys attached to address the issues raised. Unfortunately, the impression left is one of "playing to the choir," the "choir" in this case being the government's electoral base. Diversity and inclusiveness are terms that are trotted out so frequently by those seeking to affirm their progressive bona fides that they risk becoming meaningless lines rather than serious goals.

More troubling is that nurturing a culture of excellence in the federal public service does not appear to be treated as important; indeed, it is never mentioned. That in itself is worrisome because excellence should be a priority. The fact remains, however, that achieving such a goal will take a far more detailed and extensive "root and branch" approach to public service reform than governments seem willing to admit.

True, there have been a number of "renewal" exercises in the past. There was Public Service 2000 (announced by the Mulroney government in 1989), the La Releve Initiative (launched by the Chretien government in 1997), and most recently Blueprint 2020 (announced in 2013) and its pandemic successor, Beyond 2020.

All of the initiatives noted above had one common element - that is to say, one common flaw. They were all internal reviews, led by and directed from the centre (the Privy Council Office). Needless to say, none of them was devised to shake up the system in any meaningful way. None of them was equipped to address the culture of timidity and managerial aversion to change that keeps the public service from attracting the best and brightest and making it an employer of choice. Asking those most invested in maintaining the status quo is hardly a recipe for reform.

Take the single issue of teleworking. In times past, teleworking from home was an option for some, but one which in many cases was strongly resisted by managers for any number of reasons. But the real reason was that those managers who came up from the system as it was saw no reason to change. It took the pandemic to force the issue. From a system that once saw no problem in cramming more and more employees into smaller and smaller workspaces (they could not charitably be called "offices"), the infamous "Office 2.0" model suddenly became a breeding ground for COVID-19 transmission. Managerial resistance to change was blown away by the demands of public health and safety.

Virtuous rhetoric about diversity and inclusion will do nothing to address a public service culture where innovative thinking is actively resisted in favour of institutional timidity. Past internal reviews by senior managers have offered little to challenge the status quo in which those same managers operated and thrived. Key questions such as recruitment, renewal, loss of corporate memory, the role of the public service as a source of public policy advice, and the influence of political staff are all left unanswered because they are some of the difficult questions. They require a government willing to tackle them and to take advice on doing so. That advice cannot come from an echo chamber if it is to be meaningful.

The federal public service has historically been the subject of royal commissions, notably the Royal Commission on Government Organization (Glassco Commission), and the Royal Commision on Financial Management and Accountability (Lambert Commission) in the 1970s. Both made far-reaching recommendations on a wide range of public service issues. Both were led by outsiders. They injected the kind of fresh thinking that only outside-the-government expertise can bring, and they provided the kind of thought-provoking and sweeping inquiry that we need now if we are truly serious about the federal public service of the future. Michael Kaczorowski was a federal public servant for 30 years, retiring in 2018. - Ottawa Citizen (EARLY) | OPINION | A11 - Michael Kaczorowski - 2021-04-22 | 2021-04-22 00:53 (EST)

1.4 'Meet the new boss, same as the old boss'

Pete Townsend of the English rock band, The Who, coined that lyric back in 1971, but it could easily apply to the current investigation of the second chief of the defence staff, Adm. Art McDonald, within weeks of his appointment. Following the serious allegations of misconduct by McDonald and his predecessor, Jonathan Vance, as well as the recent resignation of Julie Payette as governor general, one wonders if institutional cracks in the appointment process for senior leaders in the public service are showing.

Within the federal public service itself, the Association of Public Service Executives' annual survey reveals high stress among executives going back years, and anecdotal evidence of executive-on-executive harassment. On top of that, the annual Public Service Employee Survey shows harassment remains a top systemic problem in the workplace.

In 2015, the new Liberal government promised to update the process for appointing senior positions, including opening up more of them to competition. The effect this has had isn't clear. The case of the chiefs of defence staff has raised questions about the managerial culture of those who make the appointments. Across the federal system, the appointers are appointing more appointers, who continue to appoint, often in their own image and with their own sets of values.

"Meet the new boss, same as the old boss."

With more than 250,000 workers, the public service is the country's largest employer. It's therefore necessary to invest in human-resource practices so that Canadians continue feeling confident they're being served by the best and the brightest, as well as those with high ethical standards of behaviour. Within the public service, there are truly remarkable leaders who lead by example, support their employees, and deal with inappropriate behaviour quickly and effectively. They mentor and take their talent-management responsibilities very seriously. Typically, their organizations perform well.

However, it's not clear whether enough attention is being paid, and corrective action is being taken, when executives practise inappropriate leadership. Are executives with strong people-management skills - which employees need and should expect - being promoted? Is it possible such skills are at odds with the competence required to serve a minister effectively?

There are clearly flaws in the system. Vetting and screening processes are not weeding out poor people managers. While psychological assessments are sometimes used for public-service C-suite appointments, it's unclear how much weight those assessments are given, nor how effective they are at predicting patterns of behaviour or revealing past transgressions.

How do we make the appointment process for senior public-service executives more attuned to evolving social, management, and behavioural expectations? Let's consider what happens now. First, it's important to understand there are two types of executive appointments: those made through the Public Service Employment Act, and those made through the governor-in-council (GiC). The former are public servants seeking executive positions at the EX-01 to EX-05 levels. The latter are reserved for deputy head/minister or associate deputy minister positions made by the GiC on the advice of the prime minister. This second process is much less scrutinized and discretion tends to be much wider.

Both types are recruited and assessed using similar tools. Typically, the process begins when the hiring manager defines eligibility. Applicants must demonstrate they meet the requirements listed in a statement of merit. Once an application is accepted, there can be a variety of assessments, including a written assignment, a presentation, an interview, and references. The latter are a requirement. Security clearances must be obtained and language requirements of the position must also be met.

In a thorough assessment, a candidate is reviewed by subordinates, peers, and superiors. These tools are available, but not required, in any appointment process from EX-01 and up. Such assessments can provide a better picture of the individual's abilities from a variety of perspectives.

In the academic world, it's common for faculty search committees to include a representative from the student population. Student participation adds legitimacy and transparency. While such committees seldom "vote" for candidates, the student representative can assess them directly. In the private sector, large companies often have several interview steps. Law firms, for example, are known to assess "best fit" using both formal and informal tools. The latter could involve attending a dinner or other gathering. Opinions are collected and views are discussed in subsequent steps, and a fuller picture of the candidate is created before a decision or offer is made.

Governance and management practices are evolving, or are under significant pressure to do so in a digital age. One could argue that the public service is not keeping pace. Recent resignations within senior echelons of the public service and government suggest it may be time to look at appointment processes. The new boss doesn't have to be the same as the old boss, and probably shouldn't be. - iPolitics - Stephen Van Dine - 2021-03-04 | 2021-03-04 16:16 (EST)

1.5 Report missed chance to show, not tell

The federal Liberal government has a deepening workplace problem. Despite all the promises, targets, legislation and regulations, and all the good intentions to bring equity, harmony and respect into the federal public service, things seem to have gotten worse, not better. For years, news stories have documented harassment or "toxic" workplaces in the unlikeliest spaces, be it in the RCMP, the military or now at one of the top public offices in the country - the governor general's. An independent review has described a "reign of terror" at Rideau Hall under Julie Payette and her friend and top aide, Assunta Di Lorenzo. Its conclusions were powerful enough to lead Payette and Di Lorenzo to resign last week.

And it was maddening to read, in black and white.

The report, rife with redactions to protect the confidentiality of workers who suffered their wrath, was full of adjectives to describe a nightmare work environment: "hostile," "negative," "poisoned."

Employees described "walking on eggshells" and reported "yelling, screaming, aggressive conduct, demeaning comments and public humiliations." But by blacking out details of specific incidents, it missed an opportunity to do everyone in the public service - and beyond - a public service. It needed to "show, not tell" exactly what cannot be tolerated in a modern workplace. Because clearly, people still don't get it.

Other federal workplaces are undergoing a similar crisis. Mark O'Neill, the president of the Canadian Museum of History and the Canadian War Museum, is currently on leave, and a review of complaints of workplace harassment is reportedly complete. The Canadian Human Rights Museum in Winnipeg issued an apology and replaced its top executive after an independent review of complaints of systemic racism, homophobia and workplace issues. The federal auditor general in 2019 criticized two other sprawling federal departments for failing to maintain respectful workplaces. Investigations found the Canada Border Services Agency and Correctional Services Canada knew they had problems in the workplace, "yet neither organization had developed a comprehensive strategy to address them." "Employees feared reprisal if they made complaints of harassment, discrimination or workplace violence against fellow employees or supervisors. They also had serious or significant concerns about a lack of civility and respect in their workplaces," the auditor general found. It was only on Thursday - the day after the Payette report was released - that the parliamentary public accounts committee examined that 2019 audit. "A lot of the culture we're seeing coming out at the governor general's is embedded in almost every aspect of the public sector," said NDP MP Matthew Green, "and a good snapshot of that is in CBSA and CSC."

In the past, Ottawa has tried to effect change, usually through legislation. In 2015, Justin Trudeau campaigned on a pledge to "take action to ensure that Parliament and federal institutions - including the public service, the RCMP and the Canadian Armed Forces - are workplaces free from harassment and sexual violence."

His government passed legislation in 2018 to address harassment and violence in Bill C-65. New regulations under that law finally took effect this month. The new law emphasizes employer accountability to prevent workplace harassment and violence. It defines harassment and violence, and expands the definition to include - as the Defence Department has informed its employees - "a full spectrum of unacceptable behaviours, ranging from teasing and bullying to sexual harassment and physical violence." On Thursday, by sheer coincidence, the federal Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety flagged three online training courses for all federal managers and employees on the new workplace regulations. Too late for Rideau Hall. The federal government has also set itself equity in employment goals using federal laws like the Employment Equity Act, yet it has failed to diversify the ranks of federal employees and managers. An audit by the Public Service Commission published Thursday showed visible minorities, Indigenous people and people with disabilities are still not making it past the recruitment and hiring process. Only women showed an increase in representation through hiring for the federal public service between 2016 and 2017. The audit tracked more than 15,000 applications across 30 federal departments and agencies. Disabled people saw the biggest drop, while among visible minority groups, Black Canadians fared worst. It is likely the federal government wanted to get ahead of the dim picture painted by the Public Service Commission's audit.

On Tuesday, it floated the notion of bringing in even more legislative changes to make the public service more diverse, this time through "possible amendments" to the Public Service Employment Act.

But the sad reality is, despite existing laws, even when women, visible minorities, Indigenous people and people with disabilities do succeed in getting their feet in the door, their work environments can be oppressive.

Green, the New Democrats' government operations critic, said the time for talk is over.

"Trudeau is big on branding and very, very short on delivery," he said in an interview. "Time and time again, we see policies that on their face look progressive, but as soon as we scratch the surface it's clear that they're not actually resulting in outcomes." - Toronto Star (ONT) | News | A4 - Tonda Maccharles Toronto Star - 2021-01-29 | 2021-01-29 02:57 (EST)

1.6 Feds recognize 'there's more work to be done on diversifying the public service,' says Liberal MP Alghabra

Former Nova Scotia Senator Donald Oliver says the government should revisit the Employment Equity Act and take people of African descent, or Black people, out of the category called 'visible minority.'

"Glaring" underrepresentation of visible minorities in the upper echelons of the federal public service-Canada's largest employer with more than 280,000 employees-continues to be something the Liberal government is looking to address, according to Liberal MP and parliamentary secretary for public service renewal Omar Alghabra, with Canada's first African Canadian appointed to the Senate calling for the establishment of a "Department of Diversity" to be headed by a Black deputy minister.

As of July 21, 2020, there were 80 individuals within the deputy minister community in the federal public service; of which, 36 occupy deputy minister roles and 44 occupy associate deputy minister roles, according to Stéphane Shank, spokesperson for the Privy Council Office in an emailed statement to The Hill Times. "Privacy legislation prohibits the release of personal information of governor-in-council appointees, including deputy ministers and associate deputy ministers," according to Mr. Shank. "Releasing statistics related to the self-identification of deputy ministers and/or associate deputy ministers risks disclosure of personal information when the representation is below 10 per cent."

Mr. Alghabra (Mississauga Centre, Ont.), who was appointed parliamentary secretary to the prime minister for public service renewal by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) in December 2019, told The Hill Times that "there is a recognition that there's more work to be done on diversifying the public service."

"Certainly this issue has been part of our work with government since our first mandate, and undoubtedly since George Floyd received a heightened sense of urgency and attention [on the issue]," said Mr. Alghabra. Mr. Alghabra said the point of disaggregating data around visible minorities is "certainly a pivotal one," and there is an ongoing conversation to provide that data-but said he was not in a position to confirm or share the actual data of visible minorities for privacy reasons.

"But you're accurate in pointing out that when you rise higher, especially at an executive level, the under-representation is much more glaring, and that is something our government is focused on and continues to be focused on," said Mr. Alghabra. Mr. Trudeau has tasked Clerk of the Privy Council Ian Shugart for increasing attention to this issue, according to Mr. Alghabra, as well as ministers within their own departments. Richard Sharpe, founder of the Federal Black Employee Caucus (FBEC), who works with Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), and also belongs to the Canadian Association of Professional Employees (CAPE), told The Hill Times he's been working on an interchange in community for the last year-and-a-half, working on the UN International Decade of People of African Descent.

"I've been doing this work for about 25 years, I started off as an AS-2, and realized pretty quickly that I would have no chance of ever getting hired at a higher level," said Mr. Sharpe. "I think it really has a lot to do with the nature of what leadership is in Canada, I think there's the conscious and unconscious perceptions of what leadership is, and it's invariably white and invariably male," said Mr. Sharpe.

The FBEC recently concluded a data collection initiative in collaboration with independent researcher Gerard Etienne to better understand the experiences of Black federal public service employees, according to the FBEC website. Results from the survey, which closed on July 8, are still being analyzed, according to Mr. Sharpe. "We had about 2,300 employees from 63 departments take part in the survey [and] we had about 1,000 employees in the National Capital Region fill out that survey," said Mr. Sharpe. "More than 60 per cent of respondents state that there is discrimination where they work, and more than half of the respondents have stated they have not received a promotion in the last six years." Around three-quarters of respondents "strongly agreed" with the question around if "prejudice exists where I work" as well.

Former Nova Scotia Conservative Senator Donald Oliver, who served in the Upper Chamber from 1990 to 2013 and was the first African Canadian appointed to the Senate, highlighted the Employment Equity Act that was passed by the government in the early 1980s that outlined four classes of Canadians that need special measures because they are not being treated equally.

"Those four groups are the disabled, women, Indigenous people, and something they called visible minorities," said Mr. Oliver in an interview with The Hill Times last week. "One of the things that have happened with the government is that they've been able to hide behind this great big broad word, and say, 'Look, in our department X,' we've got 11.5 per cent visible minorities,'" said Mr. Oliver. "And when you walk through that department, there's not one Black face." "So I feel very, very strongly, and I've been suggesting for a while that the federal government has got to go back to that old statute and revise it and take people of African descent, or Black people, out of the category called 'visible minority' because it's doing damage to them and they're not being afforded a fair opportunity to compete in Canada," said Mr. Oliver.

In an earlier piece that ran in The Hill Times, Mr. Oliver suggested that the country needs a new federal government Department of Diversity headed by a Black deputy minister, and that "the upper echelons of power in Canada must reflect the diverse faces of Canada." "Once the will is there to make a change, the prime minister has to say to his deputy who happens to be the clerk of the Privy Council and secretary to the cabinet, 'I want this to happen,'" said Mr. Oliver. "These things happen all the time, when senior bureaucrats stay late into the night working on things and getting it done." Independent Senator Rosemary Moodie (Ontario), who is a member of the Parliamentary Black Caucus that was established in 2015, told The Hill Times that "any discussion that at this time helps us to review the parameters around equity in the workplace, particularly in our public service and in areas of leadership across our public service, should be something that we should seriously consider doing." "I'm sure that the Senate would be supportive of discussions if they were to come our way," said Sen. Moodie.

One of the calls made by the Black Parliamentary Caucus in a June 16 statement, of which Sen. Moodie is a member, is for the establishment of an "independent champion for Black federal employees through the creation of a national public service institute." "It is one of the things that could be done, and I would concur that that is definitely something that could be done, and I think it should be done with the appropriate processes in place to select such a person, but that amongst other initiatives could be done within our public service," said Sen. Moodie. - Hill Times - Mike Lapointe - 2020-07-27 | 2020-07-27 11:16 (EST)

1.7 Black Caucus still waiting for government action on racial justice

As the end of summer approaches, members of the Black Parliamentary Caucus say they are still waiting to see how the government will act on their call for racial justice reforms, released in June after protests against anti-Black racism swept the world following the killing of African-American George Floyd by a police officer in Minnesota on May 25. No one in the government has spoken to the caucus about the issue in the time since it released its call for a suite of actions aimed at reducing structural racial inequities in Canada in, they said. "Had they come forward, I would have been the first to support them," said NDP MP Matthew Green (Hamilton Centre, Ont.). "But I'm not interested in the aesthetics of Liberal marketing-when the prime minister can take a knee and try to capture that moment." Mr. Green is part of the Black Parliamentary Caucus, a body that includes Senators and MPs from multiple parties. The caucus' call for action in June was signed by nearly all cabinet ministers, as well as Senators and dozens of MPs from the NDP and Liberals.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's (Papineau, Que.) headline-grabbing response to the moment was to don a mask and join throngs of protesters on a sweltering day in June, and to take a knee in solidarity. That appearance was later followed by a pledge in early July to commit his cabinet to develop a "work plan" on a range of policies, from justice reforms to improving access to capital for racialized communities.

Mr. Green said the government's decision to prorogue Parliament until Sept. 23 shows it isn't in a hurry to address the Black Caucus' declaration. "They're choosing, at this critical point in time, to run away from their responsibilities to deliver for people during one of the most serious economic, health disruptions," he said. "This is only going to result in more delays. At this point in time, we still don't have disaggregated data on race."

Mr. Green said the government "missed multiple opportunities" to seize the political momentum behind the statement. He said it could have attached funding for efforts at collecting race-based data and made changes to government procurement programs to level the playing field.

The unexpected prorogation of Parliament also didn't sit well with Liberal MP John McKay (Scarborough-Guildwood, Ont.), who said he was "personally disappointed," because it pulled the plug on the work of the House Public Safety Committee, which had been in the midst of a study on systemic racism in policing. Had it been allowed to continue meeting, the committee could have put forward recommendations to the government. "We were in the middle of those hearings, and now, the whole thing was for naught," said Mr. McKay, who chaired the committee. "The successor committee will have to pass a resolution to re-engage in the study and to incorporate evidence that was presented. ... People were very much engaged; it was a meaningful response to a meaningful moment."

By the time Parliament returns the Conservatives will likely have shuffled some of their parliamentary critics into new roles, following the leadership election that wrapped last week.

Prorogation or not, Independent Senator Rosemary Moodie (Ontario) said in an email response the government has "had months to respond in a substantive way, and any continued delay should not be wholly blamed on prorogation." She wrote the government has "not offered any updates or indications related to the fall [agenda] or the budget." Ms. Moodie noted that prorogation has delayed Parliament's return by just two days. "In the meantime, we have seen other communities respond to the advocacy of Black Canadians and that shows that progress is being made," she said.

Liberal MP Greg Fergus (Hull-Aylmer, Que.), chair of the Black caucus, was unavailable for an interview, but his office suggested there could be an update in a few weeks' time. Reached for comment, the Prime Minister's Office referred The Hill Times to the government's statement on its work plan, adding, "these are plans to work on across the summer months, and we'll have more to say at that time." Proroguing Parliament may give the government the runway it needs to engage with communities, and return with an agenda that puts a focus on systemic racism, said Independent Senator Mobina Jaffer (British Columbia). Sen. Jaffer said she's "not all concerned" that momentum has faded. She said she's "optimistic" the government has devoted its attention to the issue, particularly in the months since the caucus released its declaration. "It may look like the momentum is lost, but what we're doing is going back to our communities," she said. "I would be absolutely shocked if the Throne Speech didn't contain measures to deal with systemic racism."

Sen. Jaffer said she'd like to see the government move towards adopting a race-based lens to programs, similar to the gendered analysis that it applies to economic measures. Sen. Moodie said she would like to see the government's Throne Speech include a pledge to prioritize the collection of race-based data, including indicators of health and social well-being. Statistics Canada took a step in that direction in July, with the release of its first Labour Force Survey that showed racialized Canadians suffered job losses at a higher rate than white Canadians. 'Comprehensive strategy' long called for Richard Sharpe, co-founder of the Federal Black Employee Caucus, said his group has long been appealing to the government for a "comprehensive strategy" to implement policies and programs that are results driven, durable, and "not just aspirational." He said that "does require time, effort, and engagement," on the part of the government.

The public service is developing an action plan, he said, but has yet to engage his group. Mr. Sharpe said his caucus met with Privy Council Clerk Ian Shugart earlier this month. Mr. Shugart assured him that the Employee Caucus would be consulted as the government develops a plan that's expected to be rolled out early in the fall. Mr. Sharpe is also the lead organizer with the UNDPAD Push Coalition, which worked with the Centre for Policy Alternatives to outline measures the government should consider adopting as part of its recovery effort. One of those recommendations is to tweak the Canada Emergency Business Account, a COVID-19 relief program that provides loans of up to $40,000 to small businesses and nonprofits, to improve uptake among Black-owned businesses.

"The rules keep changing to try to expand it to more people and more organizations, but there's still work to be done to ensure that Black businesses can capitalize on that programming," he said. He said the government can tailor aspects of the program to help Black businesses to qualify more easily during the pandemic; the government has taken a similar approach for Indigenous communities in some programs already. For example, he said, some businesses are unable to draw loans because they don't have salaried employees, but rather rely on contract workers. Alfred Burgesson, a member of the Prime Minister's Youth Council, said he isn't ready to write off the government's response to the Black Caucus statement yet, though he said it hasn't responded with the urgency required to address longstanding inequities.

He attributed the government's lack of urgency to the fact that training or education on anti-racism practices isn't a prerequisite for holding elected office or working in government, saying that it reflects a lack of deep understanding of the lived experiences of racialized communities. Mandatory training on anti-racism is one of the actions he's called for as the founder of collectiveaction.ca, a campaign to press political representatives across all levels of government to address racism. "You might not be racist, but this education and training is still useful. It allows you make equitable policy decisions in the future," he added.

The youth council was due to meet with Youth Minister Bardish Chagger (Waterloo, Ont.) last week. Mr. Burgesson said anti-racism was not on the agenda, but would likely be brought up by the members themselves. "It's definitely provided an opportunity for youth's perspectives, experiences to be heard, but how much of these perspectives are leading to action and change, as it pertains to anti-racism efforts-I'm not sure we're seeing as much success there. I think this government has been very open. I think they speak the right language," he said of his involvement with the Youth Council. " If our leadership is going to be vocal about it as a priority, we need tangible actions." - Hill Times - Beatrice Paez - 2020-08-24 | 2020-08-24 00:18 (EST)

1.8 New Senator working group to explore diversity, inclusion training in Red Chamber

A new advisory working group of Senators will look into diversity and inclusion training in the Upper Chamber, with a deadline of June 30 to report back on its findings. Prompted by a letter from Ontario ISG Senator Rosemary Moodie, chair of the African Canadian Senate Group, creation of the new group was approved by the Senate Internal Economy, Budgets, and Administration Committee (CIBA) on April 1, and follows the committee's February decision to make unconscious bias training available to Senators and staff and relaunch an employee working group on diversity and inclusion. The impetus for the letter, Sen. Moodie said in an emailed response to The Hill Times, "was to express the concerns of our group that the process that led to the decision around anti-bias training was not sufficiently robust, open, or inclusive."

"We felt that Senators, staff, and external experts should have been consulted and that many important questions remained unanswered," she said.

The decision to offer unconscious bias training and relaunch the staff advisory group (which had been dormant since 2017) resulted from an internal review of the Senate's existing diversity and inclusion efforts launched in June 2020 amid global Black Lives Matter protests and led by CIBA's subcommittee on diversity (a five-member group), working with the Senate's human resources directorate. As noted at a Feb. 11 CIBA meeting, staff were not consulted as part of this process. Ontario ISG Senator Sabi Marwah, chair of CIBA, noted Sen. Moodie's letter recommended "a lot of further work to be done on the whole issue of anti-racism and training," and it was decided-between CIBA's steering committee, its subcommittee on diversity, and Sen. Moodie-that if this further work "was done by the CIBA subcommittee on diversity, we were constrained by the fact that we have only one minority on that group." "We have no members of the Black caucus nor any Indigenous Senators," Sen. Marwah explained to CIBA on April 1. "We have done advisory working groups in the past, whether it's on pensions or on the artwork advisory group that we recently approved at this committee. We felt that was a more efficient way to try to get broader input into what needs to be done." Sen. Moodie declined to expand on the contents of her letter, which she noted was sent confidentially, but said the mandate approved by CIBA "closely matches what we proposed."

The motion approved by CIBA lays out that the group will "examine issues relating to racism, diversity, and inclusion training" in the Red Chamber and report back with findings and recommendations to the subcommittee on diversity no later than June 30. It's members will include "up to" seven Senators "from equity-seeking groups from each recognized party and recognized parliamentary group and include at least one non-affiliated Senator," with its chair to be elected among those named. As per the motion, the group can only meet if at least three members are present and can invite "up to six external subject matter experts" to take part in its work (whose "reasonable" travel and living expenses will be reimbursed).

Sen. Moodie, who will be part of the new group, said she spent "quite a bit of time" last week "reaching out to get input from colleagues" on membership of this group, which she said will ultimately be decided by CIBA's steering committee, and expects it will be up and running "imminently." "We have lots of work to do in about 10 weeks, so we need to get going soon," she said in the April 9 email. Sen. Moodie said the new group won't be replacing CIBA's "essential" subcommittee on diversity, but will serve as a "resource" for it. "Our focus will be to listen and gather information from those who will benefit from these trainings and external experts and use that information to advise CIBA on training and the outcomes we should seek," she said, noting that consultation will include talks with Senators and staff.

"We want to hear about what diversity and inclusion training should look like, what it needs to accomplish in the Senate, so that we can achieve our goal: that, as a leading Canadian institution, the Senate will be a model in diversity and inclusion."

She said the Senator working group "will definitely work" with the Senate's staff advisory group, as well as staff "who were not selected" to be part of it. "We aim to do this in a manner that is very inclusive and that considers voices and experiences from all backgrounds," added Sen. Moodie. "We hope the recommendations this group makes are enacted and we have strong training put into place as early as the summer." This new group shows the "significant investment" the Senate is putting into pursuing "meaningful improvement in such a crucial area," she said. "Strong policies around diversity and inclusion can only benefit our democracy by making it more representative." - Hill Times - Laura Ryckewaert - 2021-04-14 | 2021-04-14 00:11 (EST)

1.9 Unconscious bias training for Senators, staff coming to the Upper Chamber

With heightened attention in the Red Chamber on the issue of systemic racism, the Senate plans to introduce voluntary, online unconscious bias training for Senators, their staff, and the Senate administration this spring, with other efforts to address diversity and inclusion in the works. The Senate Internal Economy, Budgets, and Administration Committee, known as CIBA, passed a motion on Feb. 11 directing the Senate administration to launch a procurement process to find a provider for an "online, self-paced, e-learning course" on unconscious biases.

The course will "provide the Senate community with key foundational knowledge, skills, to understand that an unconscious bias is the different types of biases that exist, how they impact us in many aspects of our personal and professional lives, and some of the practical strategies we can use to manage our biases and reduce their negative impacts," explained B.C. Senator Mobina Jaffer, a member of the Independent Senators Group and chair of CIBA's subcommittee on diversity, which brought forward the proposal.

"By opting for a course that has already been developed by diversity and inclusion experts, the Senate can move quickly to offer this foundational training to Senators and staff at a reasonable cost," she said, noting initial research suggests a "quality" course could be deployed for the entire Senate for "under $15,000, before taxes." Sen. Jaffer noted existing courses reviewed by the subcommittee ranged between 60 and 90 minutes in duration.

The motion adopted also directs the subcommittee to work with the Senate's Human Resources Directorate to develop a "communication strategy to ensure the successful implementation of this training program by April 2021," and consult with "representatives from all parties, groups, and non-affiliated Senators in order to seek their endorsement for this training course."

Working with the Senate's HR directorate, the subcommittee on diversity began reviewing the Upper Chamber's diversity and inclusion efforts last June.

Amid global Black Lives Matter protests, the Senate held an emergency debate, sparked by a request from ISG Senator Rosemary Moodie (Ontario), on "the rise in reports of acts of racism against Afro-Canadians, Indigenous Canadians and Asian Canadians," on June 18. A motion to strike a special committee on systemic racism was subsequently introduced by ISG Senator Frances Lankin (Ontario) and debated-but it ultimately died on the Order Paper when Parliament was prorogued on Aug. 18.

"Recognizing that no workplace is immune to these issues, the subcommittee on diversity wanted to seize this watershed moment to address these matters within its institution," said Alison Korn, a media relations adviser for the Senate.

Last year also saw a spotlight on now-former senator Lynn Beyak, who in June 2020 delivered an apology for posting letters with racist comments about Indigenous people on her Senate-funded website.

Sen. Jaffer told The Hill Times the new initiative has "nothing to do with senator Beyak." "I have biases, I'm going to learn from this course what they are, and so we all have biases. It's to enable Senators to understand better and then be able to make better legislative decisions," she said, adding she's "really happy" CIBA accepted the proposal. "I certainly will be doing the course because I'm hoping that I learn more about how I should be a better politician, a better Senator." During the Feb. 11 meeting, Sen. Jaffer said the hope is that members of CIBA set an example by taking the training.

Other planned initiatives related to diversity and inclusion in the Senate were also outlined, including relaunching an employee advisory group on diversity and inclusion, which went "temporarily dormant" in 2017 "due to the departure of various members and the transformation of the HR function," explained Ms. Korn. Work to relaunch the group is underway, with members to be chosen from the pool of Senate staff who apply to be volunteers "following a call of interest put out to the entire Senate community."

"It will hold its first meeting early in the new fiscal year," she said.

Through this group, the Senate plans to launch an assessment "to understand the perception and potential gaps that exist from an employee perspective as it relates to diversity and inclusion," and subsequently address those, "be it through awareness groups, creating resource communities for employees," as explained by Vanessa Bastos, the HR directorate's people, culture, and inclusion lead.

The Senate is also in the midst of developing an Indigenous Youth Internship Program, as recommended by the subcommittee on diversity in 2018, that "will seek to recruit and match young Indigenous professionals with internship opportunities within the Senate administration during the coming fiscal year," said Ms. Korn. An overall, three-year plan on initiatives related to diversity and inclusion in the Senate is still being finalized by the subcommittee.

Though the motion on Feb. 11 was passed unanimously, its wording was tweaked following concerns raised by Conservative Senator Linda Frum (Ontario) and Senate Conservative Leader Don Plett (Landmark, Man.) over the need to be clear that the course is a voluntary one. Specifically, the last six words were added to a section of the motion that now reads that "Senators, Senators' staff, and employees of the Senate administration be encouraged to complete this training while acknowledging that participation is voluntary." Whether or not to make the training mandatory was something the subcommittee struggled with "very much," Sen. Jaffer told CIBA. "We wanted to not make it mandatory, just to encourage people to take it, and also we did not want a negative reaction from Senators or the public that we thought there was any biases in the Senate. But I myself have biases, we all have biases, so we felt that this was a better way," she said, adding research done by the subcommittee and Senate HR directorate indicated it's "more effective not to have mandatory training."

"The studies we have looked at do suggest that it's most effective when people have the opportunity to opt-in to the training as opposed to feeling like it's imposed. We do want this topic to be a safe topic for people to learn about and to enquire about," explained Geneviève Garneau, a senior adviser for talent management with the HR directorate, noting it's also best "in terms of adult education."

Kicking off questioning after the subcommittee's proposal was described, Sen. Frum asked how it would be ensured that Senators don't compel or coerce their staff to take the course, and later sought to confirm that "confidentiality and anonymity" would be maintained in any statistics to be collected by the Senate related to the course. Representatives from the Senate's HR directorate confirmed only stats on the number of participants will be collected, based on completion rates.

"I'm very pleased to know that this programming is not mandatory, it is voluntary," said Sen. Frum. "I think it's very important that, if that is the policy, that it truly be reflected in the communications that go out to Senators and staff, and what I've heard that makes me a little concerned is that while on the one hand we've heard that of course it's not compulsory, and in fact it's more effective if people come to this on a voluntary basis ... what was also said is that it would be strongly encouraged, there would be multiple communications ... I just think there has to be consistency here in the message. It either is or isn't voluntary." Sen. Plett echoed her concerns, highlighting inclusion in the motion of plans to seek the endorsement of Senate leadership.

The Hill Times reached out to Sen. Frum to ask why she felt it was important the training be voluntary. In response, the Senator's office conveyed thanks for the request and indicated: "If she has something to say on this she will address it in the Senate." Sen. Plett also declined an interview request.

Conservative Senator Elizabeth Marshall (Newfoundland and Labrador), who also asked about plans to collect statistics and why the decision was made not to make the training mandatory, as was done with harassment training in the Senate, provided limited comments in response to a request from The Hill Times, but noted she supports the initiative and plans to do the training once it's available. - Hill Times - Laura Ryckewaert - 2021-02-17 | 2021-02-17 00:08 (EST)

1.10 ‘Words alone will not be enough': Black caucus, community cautiously optimistic about feds' Throne Speech pledges

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Throne Speech further elevates the priorities long advocated by the Black community, say MPs, Senators, and advocates, though some say the lack of specificity on certain planks gives the government too much wiggle room to follow through on its commitments.

Mr. Trudeau's (Papineau, Que.) parliamentary reset last week featured a grab bag of mostly old commitments that are likely to compete with one another for resources against the immediate threat posed by the global pandemic.

It featured a separate section devoted to "addressing systemic racism," reflecting, in sweeping terms, many of the priorities that the Black Parliamentary Caucus had lobbied for in response to the anti-Black racism rallies that hit many cities around the world over the summer. Some of its commitments include addressing standards on the use of force; implementing a plan to increase representation in public service; and finding new ways to support the "artistic and economic contributions of Black Canadian culture and heritage." Liberal MP Greg Fergus (Hull-Aylmer, Que.), chair of the cross-party caucus that includes MPs and Senators, said the attention focused on grappling with racial inequities in the speech is a testament to the caucus' and the Black community's drive to prevent the momentum from fading. The caucus' statement, a document that set out policy prescriptions for achieving racial equity that was released in June, received the endorsement of nearly all cabinet ministers and more than 150 Parliamentarians.

For Mr. Fergus, who is also parliamentary secretary to the Treasury Board president and to minister of digital government, said seeing the caucus' agenda adopted in the speech means members have a "green light" to keep pressing for reforms. Had the speech not reflected those priorities, Mr. Fergus said, there would be "screaming headlines" registering that omission-and it would have been justified.

"It's all forward thrusters on in terms of moving on this file, and given that we are in a pandemic, for us to recognize we have to address the real fault lines that exist, and make that a priority in the Speech from the Throne, it means I got a green light for the Black caucus to continue [its work]," he said. Mr. Fergus pointed to the "down payments" the government has made on the collection of disaggregated race-based data, which started with Statistics Canada's move to publish, for the first time, a Labour Force Survey tracking job losses by race and ethnicity. Though such data is likely to confirm the existence of longstanding inequities linked to structural forces, having hard figures, advocates say, would help further illustrate the scope of the problems. The speech picks up on that priority advocated by the caucus, in committing to developing an approach across the government around "better collection of disaggregated data."

Mr. Trudeau, in response to the wave of protests in June, promised action "very quickly" and enlisted his cabinet ministers to develop a "summer work plan." A request for comment from the Prime Minister's Office was not returned by deadline. Independent Senator Rosemary Moodie (Ontario) said when hard data is available, it makes the inequities that have long been apparent, "much more indisputable," and "easier for us to speak with authority." Independent Senator Wanda Thomas Bernard (Nova Scotia) echoed that sentiment, saying that degree of commitment on data collection suggests the government could make a push to apply an "intersectional lens" on policies. Such an approach, she noted, is already happening in the files overseen by Diversity Inclusion Minister Bardish Chagger (Waterloo, Ont.).

"Part of the problem is that, in government, change happens very slowly. Through the pandemic, it's slowed down even more," Sen. Bernard, a caucus member, said. "There's a great need, in this country, for policy development to be more inclusive, and so, bringing the voices of all stakeholders in policy development is something we really haven't been doing."

While Sen. Bernard said the speech gave profile to the concerns of Black and Indigenous Canadians, where it didn't "go far enough" for her was in providing specific and substantive reforms around criminal justice. During the pandemic, Canada has seen the pandemic collide with racial injustices, she said, pointing to several incidents involving police that have led to violent encounters and in some cases, the deaths of Black and Indigenous people such as Chantel Moore and Regis Korchinski-Paquet. Both women died during so-called "wellness checks" carried out by police. "I often look at the decal on the side of police cars; it says, 'To serve and protect,' and there are many Black Canadians and Indigenous Canadians who don't feel well served or well protected by police and, in fact, feel fear," she said. "That has to shift; that requires major change, major reform, and the Throne Speech references this a little bit."

Sen. Bernard said she had hoped the speech would have made specific references to the development of a Black-Canadian justice strategy-an acknowledgement that underscores that the community has been disproportionately affected by the criminal justice system and "state violence." She noted that Nova Scotia has already moved in that direction. Instead, the speech states a pledge to "take action to address the systemic inequities in all phases of the criminal justice system, from diversion to sentencing, from rehabilitation to records."

Sen. Moodie agreed that a lack of specifics would make it "harder to hold people accountable." "I don't think it lessens our responsibility as Parliamentarian; I don't think it lessens our mandate to pursue that," she added. NDP MP Matthew Green (Hamilton Centre, Ont.) said while pledges in the speech are wrapped up in the "words of equity and the language of racial justice," the government isn't responding with the urgency required. He added the government doesn't have a solid track record of implementing policies it endorses. "The government has all the power to immediately act on the priorities outlined in the Black caucus' statement. From procurement to policing, they have failed," said Mr. Green.

He pointed to the government's policy requiring that companies with more than 100 employees that are interested in bidding on contracts worth more than $1-million to set diversity targets, saying that, without audits, it's a toothless measure. "That is a good policy that the Liberals put forward, but how many audits have actually happened?" he said. Federal audits of companies were scrapped under the Harper government and have not been brought back, according to The Toronto Star. "It was not through the goodwill of the government," he added of the government's move to adopt priorities pushed for by the caucus and protesters. "It was the tens of thousands of Canadians led by the Black Lives Matter movement, demanding that they move beyond performative actions."

Mr. Green cited getting rid of mandatory minimums and amnesty for those convicted of recreational marijuana possession as examples of other policies the government can move on without delay.

Even as he expressed frustration over the pace of the government's response, Mr. Green said the work of the caucus, of which he is a member of, has been meaningful, saying it's been an "overwhelmingly non-partisan" vehicle. "We are looking at creating a governing structure to institutionalize the work we've done to date," he said. "I stand by that work. My job, in opposition, is to ensure that I continue to point out the uncomfortable truths." Sen. Moodie said the speech, which gave a "prominent place" to the concerns of Black and Indigenous communities, sends a reassuring signal that the government is serious about delivering on its commitments. "It's my sense there's a will and perhaps a plan," Sen. Moodie said. "We know the prime minister has spoken about it. He will need to follow through, or he risks losing credibility when he speaks on the issue. Words alone will not be enough for the country, for Black and Indigenous Canadians who have heard him." Sen. Moodie is feeling upbeat about the prospects for change, a shift from where she was at before the speech was released in late August, when she said, in an email response, "any continued delay" on responding to calls from the Black community could not be "wholly blamed on prorogation." Alfred Burgesson, a member of the Prime Minister's Youth Council and founder of advocacy group Collective Action, said the main "missing piece" from the speech was the lack of "tangible targets" for measuring the pace of progress. Mr. Fergus noted that Throne-Speech commitments rarely come with timelines.

"It's cool to see we're going to make progress on systemic racism, but without tangible targets, then how are we measuring our success?," he said, speaking for himself, not on behalf of the council. "Are we just striving towards saying we're doing it, or are we doing it to have an impact across Canada?" He said the budget or the promised fiscal update in the fall will be indicative of whether the government is "truly putting their money where their mouths are." Mr. Burgesson said the feds' launch of the Black Entrepreneurship Strategy, which promises close to $221-million in partnership with banks to help thousands of Black business owners recover from the pandemic, earlier this month was a positive development, but said "that can't be it."

At the same time, Mr. Burgesson, who participated in a council meeting that was an hour and half long with Mr. Trudeau on Friday, said he left feeling a "great deal of optimism."

"He's not afraid of the criticism. ...When others challenged him, he received it very well," he said, adding that Mr. Trudeau did not respond defensively in the face of criticism about the speed of the government's response to pressing issues. Velma Morgan, chair of Operation Black Vote, said the speech was a "good start," with many of the broad commitments reflecting what the community has been campaigning on for in countless meetings with government officials, but the real work has yet to begin in earnest. (Ms. Morgan is also working on Green Party candidate Annamie Paul's leadership campaign; the two are personal friends, and Ms. Paul is the only Black candidate running for the Greens.)

"It's time we move from aspirational to action. We need for that work to be expedited. The time should've been last year. There's a little bit of catchup," she said. "The government has been really good at speaking to the community. It has been said over and over again, 'Let's get it done.' The ball is in their court." - Hill Times - Beatrice Paez - 2020-09-28 | 2020-09-28 17:22 (EST)

1.11 Senate to hold emergency debate on racism; Conservatives block attempts to table Black caucus statement in Red Chamber

Senators will hold an emergency debate on racism against Black, Indigenous, and Asian Canadians this evening. Senate Speaker George Furey (Newfoundland and Labrador) ruled Thursday afternoon that an emergency debate could go ahead, after it was proposed by Independent Senator Rosemary Moodie (Ontario). Sen. Moodie argued that fighting racism was part of the government's job, that racism was an urgent issue in Canada right now, and that Senators would not have many opportunities to discuss the issue in the near future. The Senate is scheduled to sit until June 26, when it will adjourn for the summer.

Independent Senators Peter Boehm (Ontario) and Kim Pate (Ontario), and Progressive Senator Jim Munson (Ottawa/Rideau Canal, Ont.) spoke in favour of the debate, along with Sen. Moodie.

Conservative Senate Leader Don Plett (Landmark, Man.) and Canadian Senators Group Leader Scott Tannas (Alberta) argued that holding an emergency debate now would exclude Senators from across the country who can't attend the Senate, because of the COVID-19 pandemic from taking part. Sen. Plett argued that the emergency debate wouldn't leave enough time to address the issue, and that an ongoing inquiry into racism that he has proposed would leave more time for the issue.

Sen. Munson and Sen. Furey each noted that holding an emergency debate would not prevent Senators from discussing racism at other times in the Senate. Only a limited number of Senators are attending sittings in the Chamber, in order to reduce travel and leave distance between Senators in the Chamber.

Both Sen. Plett and Sen. Tannas said their groups would participate in the emergency debate.

Black caucus statement blocked.Conservative Senators twice blocked attempts to table the Black Parliamentary Caucus' calls to action on racism in the Red Chamber on Wednesday. Independent Senator Marie-Françoise Mégie (Rougemont, Que.) attempted to table the document twice, but was not granted the required unanimous consent in the Chamber. The informal voice votes were not recorded, so it's not clear who refused to consent to the document being tabled. Conservative Deputy Leader Yonah Martin (B.C.) rose in the Chamber afterwards and said that she had sent a message to Sen. Mégie earlier in the day, which said she needed more time to review the calls to action. "It's more procedural; it's not saying 'no' to the statement itself," she said.

Tabling a document is a way of placing it into the historical record of the Senate. The Parliamentary Black Caucus includes eight Black MPs and Senators, and a long list of non-Black Parliamentarians who joined as "allies." The caucus published its statement on June 16, calling for immediate action from governments in Canada on a variety of fronts: collecting race-segregated data; sending economic aid to Black-owned businesses; awarding more government contracts to Black-owned businesses; eliminating mandatory-minimum sentences from criminal law; reforming police forces; and more.

In a statement to The Hill Times, Sen. Mégie said, "I fail to understand why anyone would prevent the letter written by Black Parliamentarians from entering the public record. There are several recent examples of non-parliamentary documents being tabled in the Senate. Why this particular document is considered problematic is a mystery to me." "Our office is presently examining other ways and means to table the statement at the Senate. We are also considering reading it into the record," she said.

A spokesperson for Sen. Plett did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday. The Senate is also dealing with proposals to bring government ministers to testify in front of a committee of the whole to discuss how the government is combatting racism, and that the Senate form a special committee to examine how governments in Canada have responded to previous calls to fight racism. - Hill Times - Peter Mazereeuw - 2020-06-18 | 2020-06-24 14:53 (EST)

1- In the news/Revue de presse (3)

1.12 Bank of Canada says it is expecting strong growth in second half of 2021

The Bank of Canada is expecting strong consumption-led growth in the second half of the year as vaccinations against COVID-19 continue, Governor Tiff Macklem said on Tuesday. In comments to the House of Commons finance committee, he reiterated that considerable uncertainty surrounded the central bank's forecast that economic slack should be absorbed in the second half of next year.

The bank signaled last week it could start hiking rates from their record lows in late 2022, as it sharply boosted its outlook for the Canadian economy and reduced the scope of its bond-buying program. Macklem said the biggest potential cause of uncertainty was how the coronavirus progressed. "This is a bad third wave and we need to get through that ... as we can get back to more normal activities, we think consumers, Canadians, are going to go spend money and that will lead the recovery," he told legislators. Macklem noted that some sectors had been very badly hit by the pandemic and reiterated that full employment was critical to keeping inflation sustainably at the bank's 2% target. - NATIONAL POST.COM | PMN BUSINESS - 2021-04-27 |

2021-04-27 18:08 (EST)

1.13 La diversité jouera un rôle dans la reprise après la pandémie, estime Tiff Macklem

Le Canada ne guérira pas complètement des blessures économiques de la COVID-19 tant qu'il n'aura pas remédié à l'impact inégal de la pandémie sur certains secteurs et travailleurs, a estimé jeudi le gouverneur de la Banque du Canada. Selon Tiff Macklem, la mise en place d'une reprise économique inclusive peut non seulement ramener le pays là où il était avant la pandémie, mais peut-être même l'amener à un meilleur endroit pour tous.

Pour ce faire, il suggère aux entreprises de se concentrer sur l'embauche des personnes les plus durement touchées par la pandémie, comme les femmes, les Autochtones, les Canadiens racialisés et les personnes handicapées. Dans le texte d'un discours prononcé jeudi, M. Macklem a affirmé que le fait d'attirer ces travailleurs sur le marché du travail pouvait aider les entreprises à prendre de meilleures décisions et à stimuler la production potentielle de l'économie grâce à un cycle d'augmentation des revenus suivi de la demande pour les biens et services. Mais il a aussi expliqué, dans son discours destiné aux universités des provinces atlantiques, que la banque centrale devait également faire sa part, en soulignant la nécessité d'améliorer la diversité aux échelons supérieurs de l'organisation.

M. Macklem a ajouté que la banque centrale examinerait ses programmes d'achat d'obligations et les baisses de son taux d'intérêt directeur pour voir s'ils ont créé des inégalités à travers le pays. La récente activité d'achats d'obligations de la banque visait à réduire les coûts d'emprunt liés aux prêts hypothécaires et aux prêts des entreprises, ainsi qu'à stimuler les dépenses. M. Macklem a expliqué que le programme d'assouplissement quantitatif pouvait accroître la richesse en faisant grimper la valeur des actifs détenus dans des régimes enregistrés d'épargneretraite ou des régimes de retraite des entreprises. Mais ces actifs ne sont pas distribués également dans la société et l'assouplissement peut ainsi creuser les inégalités de richesse, a-t-il souligné.

La banque étudiera les impacts au pays et à l'étranger pour mieux comprendre l'impact de ses actions sur les inégalités de revenu et de richesse, a indiqué M. Macklem. «Ce que nous pouvons et devons faire, c'est garder à l'esprit les avantages de l'inclusion pour la mise en ?oeuvre de la politique monétaire», a-t-il affirmé dans le texte de son discours. «Ce n'est pas une idée nouvelle, mais les effets très inégaux de la pandémie montrent qu'il est plus urgent que jamais d'agir.»

Tiff Macklem a été nommé gouverneur de la Banque du Canada il y a un peu plus d'un an, alors que la banque centrale prenait des mesures politiques sans précédent pour soutenir l'économie. Le taux directeur de la banque a été abaissé à 0,25 %, et M. Macklem a assuré qu'il resterait à ce niveau jusqu'à ce que l'économie soit complètement rétablie et que l'inflation soit de retour dans la zone cible de 2,0 % préconisée par la banque. La Banque du Canada a récemment réduit ses achats d'obligations fédérales et amorcé la fin d'autres facilités d'achat, maintenant que les conditions économiques s'améliorent. Mais M. Macklem note que la marée montante n'a pas soulevé tous les bateaux. Il a souligné les secteurs de services à forte proximité physique comme la vente au détail et la restauration, dans lesquels la production est de près de 20 % inférieure aux niveaux prépandémique. En comparaison, la production combinée dans le reste de l'économie est maintenant légèrement supérieure à son niveau précédant l'arrivée de la COVID- 19. «La pandémie fait qu'il est plus important que jamais de favoriser une économie inclusive. Pour que l'économie se rétablisse pleinement, il va falloir remédier à ces effets inégaux», a déclaré M. Macklem. «Et plutôt que de viser simplement à regagner le terrain perdu, pourquoi ne pas chercher à améliorer l'économie pour qu'elle offre des possibilités à tout le monde.» - LE

DROIT.CA | ACTUALITÉS - 2021-05-13 | 2021-05-14 00:09 (EST)

1.14 Canadian economy won't fully recover until inequality addressed, BoC's Macklem says

'We are in the sharpest and most unequal economic cycle in our lifetime,' Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem said during an address to universities in Atlantic Canada. Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem said the central bank remains focused on an inclusive economic recovery that brings women, youth and racialized Canadians back into the workforce, even as it begins to tighten its monetary policy stance. "We are in the sharpest and most unequal economic cycle in our lifetime," Mr. Macklem said in a speech to universities in Atlantic Canada on Thursday, noting that low-wage workers have borne the brunt of job losses throughout the pandemic. "We won't fully heal the economy until we address these unequal impacts. And rather than just trying to recover to where we were before the pandemic, maybe we can bring the economy to a better place for everyone," Mr. Macklem said. This has been a recurring theme for Mr. Macklem; his last speech in February also focused on the unequal impact the pandemic has had on the labour market.

At the same time, the bank has taken the most aggressive approach among global central banks in beginning to wind down the extraordinary monetary stimulus launched last spring. Last month, the bank cut its weekly federal government bond purchases by 25 per cent and pulled forward its timeline for a potential interest rate hike. The speech comes on the heels of the April jobs report from Statistics Canada that showed the labour market recovery stalling amid renewed lock-down measures. Employment fell by 207,000 jobs last month, and the unemployment rate rose 0.6 per cent to 8.1 per cent.

Mr. Macklem had little to say about inflation in his prepared remarks, even though his speech comes a day after U.S. inflation numbers came in much stronger than expected, rattling markets around the world. The U.S. consumer price index rose 4.2 per cent in April, compared to the previous year, while core inflation - which excludes volatile elements such as food and gasoline -was up 3 per cent. Mr. Macklem's challenge right now is balancing inflation pressure - which is coming from large amounts of fiscal stimulus, pent-up consumer savings and supply-chain bottlenecks - with his goal of achieving an inclusive economic recovery. In an effort to do this, Mr. Macklem and his team are looking at a broader set of labour market indicators than just the aggregate unemployment to determine what "full employment" looks like.

In this the bank appears to be taking notes from the U.S. Federal Reserve, which has redefined its idea of full employment to take into account segments of the population that tend to rejoin the labour force later in an economic recovery. "What does a complete recovery look like?" Mr. Macklem asked in his speech. "A complete recovery is a shared recovery. If you're a worker looking for job, it means a healthy job market with good opportunities. And that needs to include the workers most affected by this pandemic: low-wage earners, women, youth and racialized Canadians."

Mr. Macklem acknowledged that some of the bank's own actions - cutting rates and quantitative easing - may be fueling inequality, by boosting asset prices. "Changes in monetary policy always have consequences for how both income and wealth are distributed. Similar to reducing interest rates, QE works to stimulate demand by lowering borrowing costs and encouraging spending," he said. "At the same time, our policy interest rate and QE also affect the prices of assets-and not just government bonds. QE can boost wealth by increasing the value of assets such as the investments Canadians have in their registered retirement savings plans or company pension plans. But of course, these assets aren't distributed evenly across society," he said. He said that the bank will "look closely at the outcomes of QE" to get a better understanding of its impact on inequality. - GLOBE AND MAIL.COM | BUSINESS - MARK RENDELL - 2021-05-13 12:23 (EST) |

Footnotes

Footnote 1

In addition, the Office of the Auditor General is also subject to the PSEA. Under subsection 15(3) of the AG Act, it exercises almost all the powers and performs the functions of the Commission under the PSEA*, otherwise this means the same as ‘organizations who perform staffing under the PSEA’ .

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Footnote 2

Pass rates represent % of tests that obtained the level sought

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Footnote 3

Reference group comprises tests taken by men and women who did not self-identify as members of an employment equity group (86.2% of tests during this period)

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Date modified:: 2024-11-04