Public servants granted election leave

Summary#

The Public Service Commission of Canada has given permission for two public servants to seek nomination and run in upcoming elections under the Public Service Employment Act. Those employees will take a leave of absence without pay during the election period once they become official candidates.

What it does#

• Grants permission to Rouba Al-Fattal (Senior Economist, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada) to seek nomination and to be a candidate in the federal electoral district of Kanata–Carleton, Ontario. The federal election is expected on or before October 20, 2025.
• Grants permission to Valaria Van Den Broek (Detachment Services Assistant, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)) to seek nomination and to be a candidate in the provincial electoral district of Langley, British Columbia. The provincial election is expected on or before October 19, 2024.
• In both cases, the Commission also approved a leave of absence without pay for the election period, starting the first day the employee is a candidate during that period.

Who's affected#

• The two named employees: Rouba Al-Fattal and Valaria Van Den Broek.
• Their employers: Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
• Voters and political parties in Kanata–Carleton, Ontario and Langley, British Columbia, who may see these people on ballots.
• It is unclear from the notice whether there are any additional internal staffing changes while they are on leave.

Why it matters#

• It lets public servants run for public office while following the rules that govern federal employees.
• The employees will be off work and unpaid while campaigning, which can affect their workplace duties and the candidate lists in those districts.
• The listed election dates are expectations, not confirmed fixed dates in this notice.