News release

March 22, 2004

Whistleblowing bill: Too little, too late

OTTAWA – Just as the Public Service Alliance of Canada feared, the whistleblowing bill tabled in Parliament today has no teeth, so the union is stepping up its call for government to negotiate whistleblower protection in the collective agreements of about 100,000 of its members.

“While it may seem positive that, finally after years of lobbying from different fronts, a whistleblowing bill has been introduced by the Liberal government, it came in the wake of damages wrought by recently reported scandals in government,” says PSAC National Executive Vice-President John Gordon.   “But the worse news is that this bill discourages public service employees from coming forward to report any present or future wrongdoing in their workplaces.”

The PSAC underlines the following weaknesses in the bill.

•  The proposed Public Sector Intergrity Commissioner does not report directly to Parliament but through a minister's office.   This will seriously weaken the agency's independence and its credibility among public service employees.

•  Potential whistleblowers do not have the unfettered right to go directly to the agency, but are instead obligated to first go to their supervisors.   For example, before commencing an investigation, the commissioner must be satisfied that the employee has exhausted all other avenues prior to taking the matter to the commissioner.

“With all these weaknesses in the bill, any public service employee will be forced think twice before reporting any wrongdoing,” says Gordon. “The present situation cries out for a more immediate and effective solution to protect whistleblowers and ensure the trust of the Canadian public.   The only proper course for government to take now is to include this protection in our collective agreements.”

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Information:
                       Joselito Calugay, PSAC Communications, (613) 560-4235
                       or (613) 862-3298

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