Canada’s Public Sector Integrity Commissioner says the office is struggling to handle ‘unprecedented numbers’ of wrongdoing and reprisal cases, and ‘resources have not kept pace, causing detrimental delays to investigations.’
Last year, the Office of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner received 348 disclosures of wrongdoing, and had a backlog of 102 cases reported the year prior.
Meanwhile, Sean Bruyea says whistleblower protections are also needed for veterans and their families because they are ‘highly vulnerable to reprisals from either VAC or the company employees and subcontractors, should they occur.’
Harriet Solloway’s first report as integrity commissioner is encouraging in its strong findings, which should serve as a warning to other managers in the public service.
‘The Liberals and their rich friends don’t care about whistleblowers, and the Conservatives will always prop up the bosses and not the workers, so this suits them quite fine,’ says NDP MP Gord Johns.
Regardless of ego and ambition, why can’t our leaders understand the harm being done to others by the current, deeply flawed so-called whistleblower protection law?
Bill C-290 is a Bloc private member’s bill to amend the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act, the basis for the disclosure of misconduct in the public sector and protects whistleblowers. And it’s attracting attention.
The Treasury Board’s track record has repeatedly proven it lacks not only the expertise to produce an effective whistleblowing law, but also any intention of doing so.
