Ethics & Standards of Conduct for Political Staff

Last updated on February 13, 2020

Who are “Political Staff”?

"Political staff" are BC Public Service employees who are appointed under section 15(1)(a) of the Public Service Act. These are employees who report through to the Chief of Staff to the Premier or provide support to a minister, and who are not assigned job duties primarily of an administrative, technical or communications nature. Most appointees who work in the Office of the Premier or who support ministers' offices are political staff. Appointees to Government Communications and Public Engagement are not political staff.

Because of their unique partisan role, political staff take the Oath for Political Staff.

Important Ethics Related Documents for Political Staff

If you're a political staff member, you must follow the Standards of Conduct for Political Staff.

Under the Standards of Conduct for Political Staff, employees must avoid any conflicts of interest. To learn more about avoiding conflicts of interest, consult the guidelines below developed for political staff:

If you need to disclose a conflict of interest, use the form below:

Public Interest Disclosure Act (PIDA) & Political Staff

As of December 1, 2019, all ministry employees, including political staff, can disclose serious wrongdoing under the Public Interest Disclosure Act. Learn more about Making a Public Interest Disclosure and consult the Public Interest Disclosure Procedures for Political Staff for details on process and timelines.

If you're ready to make a public interest disclosure, use the Public Interest Disclosure Form for Political Staff.