Minister of Public Safety

The Treasury Board says the Minister of Public Safety is responsible for the only federal pension rule that punishes misconduct, and it applies to constables alone

Hello,

Danilo Dzyuban, Ottawa. This letter is addressed to the Minister of Public Safety. On 23 September 2026 the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat wrote to me that "the Minister of Public Safety is the minister responsible for the RCMP pension plan", and that any change to subsection 11(4) of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Superannuation Act requires an amendment to that Act. The Secretariat gave no position of its own. The question therefore comes to you, in the Secretariat's words.

THE RULE.

Subsection 11(4) of the RCMP statute, in force today: a contributor compulsorily retired from the Force by reason of misconduct is entitled to a return of contributions, and to any further benefit only "in the discretion of the Treasury Board". The officer keeps what the officer paid in. The employer's share is released only if the Treasury Board says so.

THE RULE STOPS AT THE RCMP.

The Public Service Superannuation Act carried a definition of misconduct until 1999. It was repealed by section 53 of the Public Sector Pension Investment Board Act, S.C. 1999, c. 34, a Government bill sponsored by the President of the Treasury Board. On 23 September 2026 the Secretariat confirmed in writing that "neither the Treasury Board nor the President of the Treasury Board has authority under the PSSA to reduce or withhold a public servant's pension benefit because the person was dismissed for misconduct." The Canadian Forces Superannuation Act does not contain the word.

A constable dismissed for misconduct forfeits the employer-funded part of a pension. A deputy minister convicted of an offence arising out of the office keeps every dollar of it. A general keeps it too. The members of the RCMP are the only federal employees to whom this rule applies. The body that applies it is chaired by the President of the Treasury Board. The statute that carries it is yours. The Secretariat says the rule is your responsibility, and it says nothing about whether the rule is right.

THE QUESTIONS.

1. State the basis on which the rule applies to a member of the RCMP and to no other federal employee.

2. Two routes remove the difference. One extends subsection 11(4) to the Public Service Superannuation Act. The other repeals it for the RCMP. State which one the Minister supports, or state that the Minister supports neither and the difference stays.

3. State whether the Department has, at any time since 1999, assessed whether subsection 11(4) is consistent with the treatment of every other federal employee, and if it has not, say so.

I am preparing a Senate public bill that copies subsection 11(4) into the Public Service Superannuation Act word for word and keeps the Treasury Board as the decision-maker. The same question has been with the President of the Treasury Board since 2 September 2026 and with the National Police Federation since 3 September 2026. Your answer, or its absence, goes into the record of the bill and into the public register, with the date, next to the Secretariat's. I ask for it by 7 October 2026.

Respectfully,
Danilo Dzyuban

The Treasury Board says the Minister of Public Safety is responsible for the only federal pension rule that punishes misconduct, and it applies to constables alone

Hello,

Danilo Dzyuban, Ottawa. This letter is addressed to the Minister of Public Safety. It went to [email] on 23 September 2026 at 20:11 UTC. The office answered within the minute that matters of the Minister's role go to this address. The letter follows in full. The date for the answer stays 7 October 2026.

On 23 September 2026 the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat wrote to me that "the Minister of Public Safety is the minister responsible for the RCMP pension plan", and that any change to subsection 11(4) of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Superannuation Act requires an amendment to that Act. The Secretariat gave no position of its own. The question therefore comes to you, in the Secretariat's words.

THE RULE.

Subsection 11(4) of the RCMP statute, in force today: a contributor compulsorily retired from the Force by reason of misconduct is entitled to a return of contributions, and to any further benefit only "in the discretion of the Treasury Board". The officer keeps what the officer paid in. The employer's share is released only if the Treasury Board says so.

THE RULE STOPS AT THE RCMP.

The Public Service Superannuation Act carried a definition of misconduct until 1999. It was repealed by section 53 of the Public Sector Pension Investment Board Act, S.C. 1999, c. 34, a Government bill sponsored by the President of the Treasury Board. On 23 September 2026 the Secretariat confirmed in writing that "neither the Treasury Board nor the President of the Treasury Board has authority under the PSSA to reduce or withhold a public servant's pension benefit because the person was dismissed for misconduct." The Canadian Forces Superannuation Act does not contain the word.

A constable dismissed for misconduct forfeits the employer-funded part of a pension. A deputy minister convicted of an offence arising out of the office keeps every dollar of it. A general keeps it too. The members of the RCMP are the only federal employees to whom this rule applies. The body that applies it is chaired by the President of the Treasury Board. The statute that carries it is yours. The Secretariat says the rule is your responsibility, and it says nothing about whether the rule is right.

THE QUESTIONS.

1. State the basis on which the rule applies to a member of the RCMP and to no other federal employee.

2. Two routes remove the difference. One extends subsection 11(4) to the Public Service Superannuation Act. The other repeals it for the RCMP. State which one the Minister supports, or state that the Minister supports neither and the difference stays.

3. State whether the Department has, at any time since 1999, assessed whether subsection 11(4) is consistent with the treatment of every other federal employee, and if it has not, say so.

I am preparing a Senate public bill that copies subsection 11(4) into the Public Service Superannuation Act word for word and keeps the Treasury Board as the decision-maker. The same question has been with the President of the Treasury Board since 2 September 2026 and with the National Police Federation since 3 September 2026. Your answer, or its absence, goes into the record of the bill and into the public register, with the date, next to the Secretariat's. I ask for it by 7 October 2026.

Respectfully,
Danilo Dzyuban