Thank you for your comments about our work.
It's true. We have seen new challenges.
I plan to ask my colleague, Mr. Lemaire, to add his comments, because he is responsible for policy.
First, there is the question of interpretation of Part 7 of the Act, which deals with a non-partisan public service. Is it broad enough to address all of the concerns we might see? There are cases where it was impossible to tell if there would be a negative impact on the Public Service, but the definition in the Act leads to restrictions. That is the first challenge: interpretation of the current Act, especially if we are in the process of evaluating the Act. It provides an opportunity to make changes, if necessary.
Second, there is the new order with the advent of Facebook and technologies. People do not understand that information which used to be private is now public. That is another reality.
The third aspect stems from the Supreme Court decision stating that public servants can engage in political activities but the Public Service as a whole has to be respected. It's a qestion of balance. Where is that balance?
We have these challenges. We are currently setting up coordinating groups throughout the country with experts to obtain their input. We have to give our opinion, not just on staffing issues, but also on relations with ministers and deputy ministers. There are also relations between the people who work for a minister, the staff, and the Public Service. In one of our audits, we looked at Governor-in-Council appointees.
It's a big job, and at this point I do not have many good answers.