bout de papier, Vol. 15, No. 3 (1998) — Fall 1998 // Automne 1998, p. 6
PAFSO Forum/Forum de L’APASE will be a regular feature of bout where foreign service officers and others are encouraged to raise issues of current interest to the broad PAFSO membership. For the inaugural PAFSO Forum, we reproduce below a letter sent to the Editor of the Ottawa Citizen that was published on June 25, 1998, written by then-PAFSO President, Carol Turner-Trusca
The Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers (PAFSO) wishes to express its concern at the recent “opinion piece” by Patrick MacAdam (Citizen, 25 May 1998), which included a gratuitously distorted picture of the foreign service (FS) and the individuals who serve in it. MacAdam’s diatribe perpetuates in outdated stereotype of the indolent and high-living diplomat — too frequently embraced by the Citizen — that is high time to discard.
First, a few specific observations on MacAdam’s “reminiscences”, which speak far louder of the values of this Mulroney patronage appointee than they do of the dedication and professionalism of our members. For example, his claim that the idea to donate millions of tree seeds and seedlings to the UK following the 1987 hurricane succeeded “at the cost of a few stamps” deliberately ignores the fact that the implementation of such programs requires hard work and, yes, costs. Can we only assume that Mr. MacAdam subscribes to the school of thought, so often embraced by the public service’s political masters, that ideas are made flesh by the magic wand of their ingenuity?
Second, PAFSO takes exception to the offensive racial stereotyping evident in MacAdam’s piece. Unlike Mr. MacAdam, FS officers in charge of showcasing Canadian culture abroad do not operate on the assumption that aboriginal artists will find themselves in the host nation’s drunk tank on opening night.
Thirdly, MacAdam’s “contempt” at the failure of consular offices (“bean counters” in his parlance) to provide a bridging loan for his friend deserves a closer look. In London, first-world facilities such as electronic and wire banking are available around the clock and travellers have a multitude of options. Moreover, London at any time hosts upward of 30,000 Canadians. Accordingly, High Commission personnel must be circumspect in rendering financial assistance, such as for the return to Canada of mentally ill persons or runaways (the “bums” so compassionately described by MacAdam). While it is no surprise that this patronage appointee would seek special treatment for his friends, FS professionals have a duty to the Canadian taxpayers to ensure that their money is not spent abroad on services not rendered to ordinary Canadians at home — and that all Canadian citizens are accorded equal treatment. And yes, FS officers have been known to take fellow Canadians into their homes, from rape victims in Kenya to persons trapped by political unrest. In the first-world safety of London such “service” is hardly necessary.
A few words now on the current state of Canada’s foreign service. Contrary to MacAdam’s gratuitous slur, FS officers accept postings abroad expecting to work for a living. Unpaid overtime — against this bargaining agent’s advice — is an accepted fact of life; estimates suggest that the Department of Foreign Affairs would have to increase its work force by some 10% if our member worked only the hours they are paid for. The much-ballyhooed cocktail parties diplomats must attend to promote Canada’s interests abroad (not a form of entertainment one would voluntarily seek out) takes them away from their families two or three nights a week. Yes, such functions continue to be considered as “social occasions” and remain ineligible for overtime.
Moreover, our members can expect little in the way of the comforts taken for granted in Canada, such as decent medical care, basic hygiene, readily available foodstuffs, or the freedom to leave one’s house without protection. Many of our colleagues return to Canada with permanent damage to their health rather than memories of meeting royalty at the theatre. Of course, MacAdam’s connection brought him a posting to London; there are no patronage jobs in Algiers, Lagos or Hanoi…
Admittedly, as with any government department, abuses do occur on occasion. However, the most scandalous waste in the Foreign Service now occurs in the area of human resources. FS officers, especially in “junior” ranks that make up the bulk of the service, are among the lowest-paid public servants in Canada. Although minimum recruitment standards are now a postgraduate degree, a law degree with call to the Bar, or an undergraduate degree with a difficult language — Mandarin, Japanese, Arabic – skill, the starting salary is around $36,000. Unlike elsewhere in Government, professional qualifications or experience are not taken into account at hiring.
Rotational FS officers regularly work alongside counterparts from other departments — and non-rotational colleagues right at Foreign Affairs — earning twice their salary. The justification for the inequity has always been the possibility of foreign postings, yet the reality now is that most FS officers can expect to spend 2/3 of their career in Ottawa. Moreover, in the age of the dual income family, postings frequently themselves impose unbearable economic hardship. Given the demographic make-up of the foreign service, MacAdam’s “lippy wives” – increasingly male spouses — are usually themselves professionals, who rarely find equivalent employment when following their partners abroad. Small wonder that, with family incomes reduced by some 50% and at the mercy of the Canadian dollar, compensation and allowances are a frequent topic of conversation — particularly in cities like London, where the cost of living is twice that of Ottawa.
The inadequacy of compensation compared to the value of the work performed and the qualifications expected of FS officers has caused a veritable “brain flight” in the junior ranks. Officers are leaving at a steady rate to take jobs in the private sector or other government departments; their qualifications and experience gained in the FS — including language training and contacts abroad — making them valuable and highly marketable commodities. Rather than acknowledging the value of its human resources and taking steps to retain the expertise it has paid to create, the Department increasingly plugs the gaps with non-rotational, less experienced staff at between $20,000 and $30,000 more a year, thereby exacerbating the frustration felt by the rank and file.
The resources wasted by the Government in training FS personnel without ensuring the longevity of the investment, and the loss to the Canadian public of the best and brightest diplomats, is the true scandal currently plaguing Canada’s foreign service and one which the Citizen is invited to investigate.
Carol A. Turner-Trusca
President
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Originally published in bout de papier, Vol. 15, No. 3 (1998) — Fall 1998 // Automne 1998, p. 6. Read the rest of this issue →
