Liberal Whistleblower Legislation Ensures Another AdScam

Parliament Hill (Ottawa) – Scott Reid, MP (Lanark-Carleton) today outlined the flaws contained in the new Whistleblower legislation announced earlier this week. Reid stated that this is just another hollow piece of legislation, designed to look like it does more than it actually will and that it doesn’t go far enough to protect whistleblowers.

“If a Minister’s staff member wanted to come forward to report a wrongdoing, there is nothing there to protect them,” Reid said. “Alternatively, the new Commissioner would not be able to investigate a Minister or their staff.” Protection would only be extended to Public Service bureaucrats, not to Ministers Offices, where many of the recent scandals have originated.

The new bill will replace the government’s “internal disclosure policy,” which actually prevented people from coming forward. It is expected to create a Public Service Integrity Commissioner as the neutral third party to investigate complaints and allegations. It is still undetermined whether the new Commissioner will report directly to Parliament or go through a Minister.

“My hope is this official will be an agent of Parliament because people understand that comes with a substantial measure of independence and autonomy, which goes to the public service’s perception that their allegations will be treated fairly and objectively,” said Ken Kernaghan, the Brock University professor who chaired a special working group on whistleblowing.

Since 1999, opposition MPs and Senators have introduced 13 bills to protect whistle-blowers. “If the Liberals were really serious about this matter they could have adopted the legislation of any one of these bills,” Reid stated. “Instead, they have waited until they were faced with a huge scandal and have acted to give the appearance that they were doing something. Had they done what they should have years ago, much of the waste and scandal could have been prevented.”

The Liberals could eliminate any future scandals now by broadening the Access to Information Act to include all government departments, agencies and Crown Corporations and by making the $5 Billion trust fund accountable to Canadian Taxpayers by putting in within the Auditor General’s purview.

“The Liberals have always had a talent for creating ‘smoke and mirror legislation,’ making it look like they are doing more than they really are. They are out to protect the most secretive government in the history of Canada,” Reid said.

For more information or to speak with Mr. Reid
Please call (613) 257-8130 or (613) 947-2277.

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