Gutsy Lady

Very refreshing to see this after Christiane Ouimet's betrayals and abuses: the head of an oversight agency doing her job while undoubtedly realizing that her findings and recommendations may not  make her popular with the harper regime. 

(emphasis mine)
The Public Service Commission has identified gaps in processes involving political appointments, the political activities of public servants and relations between the public service and the political sphere.

In a report tabled Tuesday in Parliament, the PSC recommended further steps be taken to ensure that external appointments of senior public servants and members of agencies and board are based on merit, non-partisanship and subject to independent oversight.

This could be done by the PSC or by an organization such as the Public Appointments Commission provided for in the Accountability Act.

The PSC report also identifies a need for increased awareness of the importance of non-partisanship. “Work needs to continue on providing greater clarity to public servants through policy or regulation.”

The PSC recommends a change in the law that would allow the agency to investigate any complaint of improper political activity on the part of a deputy department head.

There’s also a need to improved guidance to political staffers on their relationship with the public service, PSC president Maria Barrados told a House of Commons committee. She called for a code of conduct for ministerial staff to provide “clear guidance” on that relationship.

Ms. Barrados' term as president of the PSC is up in May but since no one has been named to replace her, it is likely her term will be extended - if she agrees - should the government fall soon.  Anyone who has seen her in Committees will remember a small, unobtrusive woman who surprises her audience by being unshakable in her commitment to the mandate of the PSC no matter how aggressively she is questioned.  It does not surprise me that her final report emphasizes the need to enforce and protect non-partisanship in the public service.

The sections highlighted do not currently fall under the PSC mandate so it is impressive that in the current climate where watchdogs are under relentless attack, Ms. Barrados identifies areas where partisanship can creep into the public service or expose public servants to political pressure.  While Barrados did not mention the interference of political staffers at Public Works, the last highlighted paragraph relates to such situations.

An independent agency - whether it be the PSC or one created specifically to handle issues Barrados addresses is needed to prevent political interference with departments and agencies that are there to serve the public, not political masters.