Employment Minister Pierre Poilievre said Thursday he would not rule out imposing restrictions on face coverings in the federal public service.

Speaking at a press conference on an open letter Conservative Leader Stephen Harper has written to the federal public service about the future of their pension plans and sick leave benefits, Poilievre would only say that any decision on a possible ban on bureaucrats wearing the niqab or other face coverings on the job would be “down the road.”

“What I can tell you is our existing policy, which is that it is completely reasonable to have someone show their face when giving the oath of citizenship. I have been to citizenship ceremonies where people have attended wearing a face covering, and I have witnessed them remove those face coverings, and I think that is entirely reasonable,” he said at a press conference in Ottawa.

“The reason we ask people to show up in person is because we want to witness them giving their allegiance to this country. We don’t let people fax it in, make a phone call, or send an email. We bring them in person, because it is a sacred moment of citizenship and loyalty to the country that must be witnessed by one’s peers. And that cannot be done if one’s face is covered. So we’re not going to succumb to political correctness in order to accommodate a practice that is not in line with Canadian values.”

In Quebec, legislation that would compel people providing or receiving government services to have their faces uncovered is still being debated in the National Assembly.

“Well, you’ll have to wait till we’re down the road to find out what’s down the road, but what I can tell you is today this is the message I have to share with you,” Poilievre said.

CBC has a clip of the exchange on their Facebook page; you can see it here.