2nd NL Prov Gov Dept. refuses to Hire transgender, even after job competition win!

For the second time in the past 9 months, transsexual activist, Jennifer McCreath has been refused a job offer by the Provincial Government of Newfoundland, even after she won a job competition through the Public Service Commission. In November 2012, Deputy Minister of Department of Innovation, Business and Rural Development (IBRD), Brent Meade, opted to override the recommendation that Jennifer be hired for an Information Management Technician III Position in his Information Management Division.

Now, McCreath was just informed today that she was not selected for the role of Information Management and Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Analyst, with Department of Municipal Affairs, in their Fire and Emergency Services Division, despite being ranked #1 in the job competition.

Last year, McCreath sought answers from Meade's office and was given very little information. In fact, recent amendments to the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, known as Bill 29, introduced provisions for Government bodies to keep information secret, with regards to job hiring decisions - hence opening the door for controversial and questionable hires and rejections.

While she can't say for sure that this is an issue of transgender discrimination, "it seems extremely fishy to see two consecutive overrides in two consecutive job interviews, ironically, which I ranked #1 in both," said McCreath.

McCreath will be sending the following Open Letter to the Deputy Minister over at Municipal Affairs, in hopes that a response will provide better details than those received last year from IBRD. She will be CCing the Newfoundland Human Rights Commission, and Justice critics from both NDP and Liberal Governments, parties who both objected to the introduction of Bill 29, last year.

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Dear Deputy Minister, Colleen Janes:

It has been brought to my attention that although I was the top ranked candidate for the above-cited job, your office has elected to hire someone else.

This is now the second time in the past year that a Deputy Minister has overridden a Public Service Commission #1 ranking, as similar fate happened to me last year with regards to a job over at Dept of IBRD.

Needless to say, I am curious to gain some information so I can better understand why your office feels that I should not be hired, even though a thorough review of my qualifications and experiences were undertaken by the very capable and competent Board including Frank Butler and your ADM, Marilyn McCormack.

It is to my understanding that while overrides do happen, they are extremely rare - and for me to get hit with this twice in a row, multiplied by the fact that I am a member of a minority group who often faces oppression, and who suffers from a lack of explicit human rights protection by our Province's Human Rights Code, needless to say, I have some major concerns and would like some details as to why your office does not feel comfortable offering me this job.

Jennifer McCreath
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
http://www.jennifermccreath.com
info@jennifermccreath.com
www.twitter.com/Jenn_McCreath
709-753-9529

(edited correcting ADM's name).
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