Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister responsible for Public Service Renewal.
Workers who have been declared surplus deserve the first crack at any job they can seize in the public service. Last year a regional director in the Department of Health cancelled a job competition in order to hire someone he knew personally under an employment equity program called "Options".
Surplus employees watched helplessly as their applications were ignored in favour of an employment equity application.
We have been assured the best qualified persons are allowed to compete for jobs in the public service. Are employment equity programs being used to bypass this important principle?