Finance committee  This is a real problem for agency employees. We often hear them say that they are being prevented from providing services that they were previously able to offer. This clearly shows that there is a real risk of a decline in service standard. That is why we are against this change.

Finance committee  On the subject of amending the act, I would like to point out that, were it possible to negotiate staffing and recourse, we would at least be able to sit at the table to raise matters of concern and express the viewpoint of members of the institute. At the moment, no such dialogue occurs.

Finance committee  Yes.

Finance committee  We are referring to the overall cost of implementing the staffing system. You asked earlier who came up with the idea originally. Allow me to remind you that the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada appeared before this committee in 1999. At that time, we raised the issue of staffing as a matter of priority.

Finance committee  That was during the review by Deloitte Touche—

Finance committee  There are indeed allegations that managers had hand-picked their preferred candidates. All I can say about the way in which candidates are chosen is that both members gave their approval, and then the third party adds his voice to the chorus. Our main criticism is that no system was ever set up to allow people to show that they had the necessary skills and qualifications for a particular position.

Finance committee  —about recourse. Some of our people were not even interviewed. Some of our people were not even quoted in their report, and that was the big concern. Our view of the Deloitte Touche report is that probably the report was written before the work or the interviews. That was our clear—

Finance committee  The points that you have raised primarily concern PSAC members; however, it is also important that we not forget services for auditors. We are in favour of the overall improvement of service delivery.

Finance committee  That might create a problem. It is mostly members of the institute who are recruited. We would like the CRA to set up a training program. There is also a problem in terms of staffing. The CRA is neither able to recruit sufficiently qualified staff nor to offer the staff career promotion.

Finance committee  The process is part of the recourse for staffing. They have a pool of what they call “outside people” with a specific mandate, and we go to them.

Finance committee  The agency has implemented a staffing process based on skill profiles. To advance in your career, you must have a theoretical skill profile. The system is so cumbersome, difficult and poorly planned that it interferes with our institute's and the agency's daily work. The agency tried to create a monster, and now it is suffering the consequences.

Finance committee  Good afternoon. My presentation will deal with two specific points: staffing and recourse. Section 54 of the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency Act deals with appointments and the recourse that employees can have. The Professional Institute alleges that the agency did not fulfil this commitment.