GN clarifies election rules for employees

Despite a confusing e-mail sent to all Nunavut government employees last month, the rules governing their political activities during this year’s territorial election period have not changed.

“Nothing has changed,” deputy premier Kelvin Ng said this week. “The rules are the same as they have been forever.”

That means non-management GN employees who want to donate money to candidates or do volunteer campaign work are free to do so – and they don’t have to get permission in advance from their employer.

Carmen Levi, the deputy minister of human resources, said employees may contact her department if they want to clarify the rules governing political activities.

“If they’re running for MLA, they have to have leave without pay, that’s for sure. But they can campaign after work hours without any repercussions to their work, and they don’t need leave without pay or permission,” Levi said.

But that’s not what many employees thought after they read a GN directive issued Dec. 19.

The directive, e-mailed to all employees, appears to say that all employees, regardless of their status, must seek “prior approval” even before giving money to candidates or working for candidates on their own time.

“Employees are required to have prior approval before they may assume the role of an official agent, a candidate, a financial supporter, an ordinary campaign worker,” says a covering letter attached to the directive.

Several non-management GN employees told Nunatsiaq News in confidence that they think their employer is violating their political rights.

But Ng said it’s “just a misunderstanding,” and that the political participation rules for government employees under the Public Service Act are the same as they’ve been for many years.

Those rules are as follows:

o Restricted employees: This group is made up of the GN’s top-level bosses: deputy and assistant deputy ministers, directors, regional superintendents, the CEOs of Crown corporations, and other senior managers.

Restricted employees may not engage in any campaign activities whatsoever, and may not make any spoken or written political statements. But they are allowed to donate money to a candidate and to sit at political meetings if they are there just to listen.

Restricted employees may become election candidates or official agents if they first apply for and receive a leave of absence from their jobs.

o Non-restricted employees: This group is made up of lower-level employees, including teachers.

Non-restricted employees may do campaign work on their own time and give money to candidates without having to seek permission from their bosses. They may even wear campaign buttons at work. But they may not campaign during work hours or on duty travel, or use GN equipment and premises for campaign purposes.

They may, however, do campaign activities within leased GN staff housing units. They may not comment on issues directly related to their jobs, but they are otherwise free to make public statements, and to endorse or criticize the platforms of election candidates.

Nearly one-third of Nunavut residents with jobs work for the territorial government.

For election candidates in several Nunavut constituencies, the GN’s workforce is an important source of money and volunteers.