The Public Service Commission (PSC) normally consists of a chairperson, who serves “at pleasure,” and four other members appointed by the Premier for terms of six years. The Commissioners are supported by 100 or so civil servants, mostly located in Regina. The PSC is the main body for all personnel administration or human resource concerns for the Civil Service, and is considered to be an arm of the executive branch of the government. This differentiates it from the federal PSC in Ottawa. There, the PSC is a watchdog for the Legislature and the Parliament, as the goal is to prevent civil servants being hired on the basis of patronage. In the case of Saskatchewan, having the PSC as part of the executive makes it more difficult, if not impossible, to prevent patronage appointments. On the other hand the Saskatchewan PSC, operating as an arm of the executive branch, is in a better position to satisfy the personnel administration needs of the Civil Service.
Robert McLaren