Political Activities as a Public Servant

There are different processes involved for team members that are interested in engaging in political activities and Indigenous government activities. Political activities, as defined by the Public Service Employment Act (PSEA), include political activities related to: Municipal, Provincial, Territorial or Federal elections. “Other” political activities, such as those related to Indigenous Government elections are covered under “outside of work activities” in the Conflict of Interest and Post-Employment Policy.

In addition to a breakdown of responsibilities, processes and tools below, the CVE has created some FAQ’s that can answer some of the questions you might have on each subject. Go to ParksNet to learn more about Indigenous Government Activities and for more information about Political Activities.

Political Activities

There are candidacy-related political activities and there are non-candidacy related political activities, there are two different processes that are necessary to follow should a team member be interested in either.

For Non-Candidacy related political activities such as volunteering or fundraising, displaying political material, attending events, meetings or political gatherings in support of or in opposition to a candidate or political party etc. team members must make an informed decision as to how it could potentially affect or be perceived as affecting your impartiality as a public servant. The Public Service Commission has a very useful self-assessment tool that can be useful in helping you determine risk associated with participating in the activity you are interested in.

For Candidacy related political activities an application must be made to the Public Service Commission for permission to run. Permission must be requested and granted before a team member’s intention to become a candidate is made public and any nomination is put forward. The PSC has forms available on their website that must be completed and submitted at least 30 days before any intention is made public. If you have any questions or would like support in completing the required PSC forms, please contact Judith Brunet, the Agency’s Designated Political Activities Representative.