Accountability advocates call for independent review of whistleblowing claims
Posted October 27, 2010 5:50 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
OTTAWA – Government accountability advocates are calling for an independent review of claims that were dismissed by the federal whistleblower watchdog.
They also say the law that’s supposed to protect public servants if they report wrongdoing needs to be rebuilt.
Over the last three years, the public sector integrity commissioner reviewed 170 allegations of wrongdoing and 58 claims of reprisals, but substantiated none of them.
But Christine Ouimet now has suddenly retired and the auditor general is investigating complaints against her.
A coalition of over 30 accountability groups wants a new commissioner, but also says the existing law has too many loopholes.
The groups say it’s time to review why the commissioner’s office rejected so many claims.
They include the case of military veteran Sean Bruyea, who was offered an apology by the federal government this week for the way bureaucrats mishandled his medical files.
Allan Cutler, a longtime advocate of government accountability, said several other claims that were dismissed by the commissioner have been substantiated by volunteers.
But he wouldn’t release details, saying that could jeopardize the people involved.
