Open Letter to the Public from Senator Percy Downe

The Honorable Percy E. Downe, Senator (Charlottetown, P.E.I.)
The Senate of Canada
Ottawa ON K1A 0A4
Tel: 613-943-8107 Fax: 613-943-8106
E-mail: pdowne@sen.parl.gc.ca

April 6, 2006

OPEN LETTER TO THE PUBLIC

I have introduced legislation in the Senate that seeks to amend the Public Service Employment Regulations to permit any Canadian Forces member, or the survivor of a member, who has served in a war zone for a cumulative period of at least 36 months:

• To be entitled, for a period of one year from the day on which the person ceased to be employed by the Forces, to be appointed in priority to all other persons to a position in the Federal Public Service, for which - in the opinion of the Public Service Commission - the person is qualified;

This is identical to the priority already offered to political staff of federal Cabinet ministers. Political employees who have worked for three years are entitled to be appointed without competition in priority to all others to a position in the Public Service for which they are qualified. My proposed bill also builds on the step taken in the new Veterans Charter to allow medically released veterans to enter the public service without competition.

Further, most of these individuals have many years of productive service before them. According to testimony at the May 11, 2005 Senate National Finance Committee meeting, the average retirement age of Canadian Forces members is 36. Thirty-six is a very young age and after such profound service to Canada I believe we have an obligation to these veterans.

In some cases, individual veterans may not want to enter the public service - and in those cases, I think we need to do more to ensure that appropriate levels of targeted transitional assistance are available.

I believe that as Canada’s military takes on the increasingly difficult task of promoting our country’s security interests at home and abroad, more should be done to reward the men and women who serve overseas.

If you support this initiative you may want to consider corresponding with the Prime Minister directly to urge the adoption of the proposed legislation.

Sincerely,

Percy E. Downe
Senator