The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada
The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada
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REPORT OF THE NATIONAL ELECTIONS COMMITTEE

Presented to the 100th Annual General Meeting

The National Elections Committee is appointed by the PIPSC Board of Directors in each new calendar year.  The committee conducts National Elections to positions on the Board (By-Law 17.3.2) and, from time-to-time, may conduct Constituent Body elections (By-Law 17.3.2.1).  The committee will also hear, investigate and rule on complaints received relevant to elections that it may be conducting.

As per PIPSC By-Law 22.1, Date of Election/Commencement of Office: “Commencing in 2015, there shall be an election of Officers and Directors of the Institute every three (3) years”.  The next scheduled National Elections will be held in 2021.

An exception to the ‘every three years’ schedule could occur.  For example: if a position on the Board of Directors becomes vacant, then a ‘special’ election may be required depending on the length of time between when the vacancy occurs and the next scheduled election.  The Elections Committee would refer to the PIPSC By-Laws to determine if a special election is required.

The Elections Committee was requested to conduct elections for the CFIA S&A, SUN-RT and AFS Groups.  The AFS and CFIA S&A Group Executive elections were successfully run and the SUN-RT Group Executive elections will be underway shortly.

The Elections Committee met and developed a 2019/2020 work plan to:

  • Develop and maintain a complaints roster so that there is corporate history
  • Collaborate more closely with the Election Appeals Committee
  • Review more closely the STV (Single Transferable Vote) voting system
  • Review the possible use of ‘Progressive Discipline’ for elections – adjust policy wording for clarity with regard to forbidden behaviours
  • Research social media policies already in place and the possibility of a sub-committee requirement
  • Create a Facebook page for elections where candidates and members can post/discuss
  • Research ways to have debates with presidential and vice-presidential candidates where not everyone has to be in the same room

Your National Elections Committee is always looking for innovative ideas to increase member participation in national elections.  The Committee is interested in identifying the barriers to participation. Our goal is to increase voter turnout.  If you have thoughts, ideas, suggestions as to what the barriers are and/or how we might be able to increase voter participation, then we want to hear from you.  Please email the National Elections Committee: elect_cmt@pipsc.ca. (note the ‘underscore’ between ‘elect’ and ‘cmt’).

The 2019 Elections Committee: Gordon Bulmer (Chair), Leslie Hill, Nancy Lavoie, Daniel Galvao, Tom Kirkpatrick, Zul Nanji and Patrick Provost.  Staff resources are Allison McAleer and Eddie Gillis (COO & Executive Secretary).

If you have the time and are interested, then please consider putting your name forward to join the committee when the call for volunteers is published late in 2019.

Respectfully submitted,

Gordon Bulmer

Chair, Elections Committee