Another issue that the Immigration Director is concerned about is that there are some immigration officers who are long overdue pay raises and increments that aren't being immediately addressed.
The concern is that these officers who are owed may be more prone to outside influence from persons who would be willing to pay them to break or been the law.
Here's how she explained it to the Senate when it was brought up today:
Mark Lizarraga
"We've heard recently from staff members who have been complaining about having received a promotion and not having received their pay. This, of course, we all know is not the very best for morale if you are trying to insist that your staff be professional and that they comply to this new environment. You would expect that they would be properly compensated and compensated in a timely manner. Is this true?"
Diana Locke - Director of Immigration and Nationality
"Yes, it is true and it is an issue that I have been taking up. Prior to arriving at the department, there were many, many persons. Of the 100 and, perhaps, 65 or 75 immigration officers there were a significant amount of persons who had not been completed with their performance appraisals. There were persons who had not been given their increments. There were appointments that had not been completed after six or seven years. These are all HR issue which I hold dear to my heart because that's one of my fields. And if you cannot give people what they are due then you cannot expect for them to give you support. So this is an area that I have been at it and at it and it's a very frustrating and slow process. We have recently had transfers. We are still waiting for payments of transfer grants of housing allowances. These are the things that affect officers. I much prefer we do what we need to do and I have raised this matter to the CEO, I have, from time to time, brought it to the attention of the finance officer because they control these payments at that level. The Ministry takes care of the administrative matters and the financial matters of the department. So, I can only report to them and hope that these matters can be addressed. Yes, there are some delays on the part of some officers but I do feel, and I've always felt this way not only at immigration, that we have a public service that is not caring. They don't care about each other and they don't care too much about the service that we provide and we need to change that. I would much prefer for the government to pay them than for someone out there, and there are many people out there and they would be more than happy, to step in where the government has not been able to do so as quickly as we should."
We'll have more from today's hearing in tomorrow's news, when we'll show you what the Director had to say about the recommendations from the Auditor General that her findings at the Immigration Department should be sent to the police so that they can start criminal investigations.
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