Our Mission:

Protecting Whistleblowers Who Protect The Public Interest

FAIR (Federal Accountability Initiative for Reform) promotes integrity and accountability within government by empowering employees to speak out without fear of reprisal when they encounter wrongdoing. Our aim is to support legislation and management practices that will provide effective protection for whistleblowers and hence occupational free speech in the workplace.

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Top Stories

Environmental charity backs up whistleblower's claims of government intimidation

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Marketwire – January 26, 2012

ForestEthics has sent a statement to supporters confirming the veracity of Andrew Frank's claims that the Government of Canada targeted the environmental group.

In an email sent to supporters yesterday afternoon (January 25), ForestEthics co-founder, Valerie Langer confirms the veracity of Andrew Frank's claims: "While a spokesman for the Prime Minister's Office denied using this language (An Enemy of the Government of Canada), he refused to comment when asked whether ForestEthics was targeted by the government. ForestEthics was targeted by the government. There's a good reason they wouldn't comment: it's true."

A Whistleblower’s Open Letter to the Citizens of Canada

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Andrew Frank

A Whistleblower’s Open Letter to the Citizens of Canada: Prime Minister’s Office Tries to Silence Pipeline Critics; Labels Environmental Group “Enemy of the Government of Canada” and “Enemy of the people of Canada.”

by Andrew Frank

Today, I am taking the extraordinary step of risking my career, my reputation and my personal friendships, to act as a whistleblower and expose the undemocratic and potentially illegal pressure the Harper government has apparently applied to silence critics of the Enbridge Northern Gateway oil tanker/pipeline plan.

As I have detailed in a sworn affidavit, no less than three senior managers with TidesCanada and ForestEthics (a charitable project of Tides Canada), have informed me, as the Senior Communications Manager for ForestEthics, that Tides Canada CEO, Ross McMillan,was informed by the Prime Minister’s Office, that ForestEthics is considered an “Enemy of the Government of Canada,” and an “Enemy of the people of Canada.”

Affidavit accuses Prime Minister's Office of threatening environmental charity

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Prime MInister Stephen Harper

Bob Weber – January 24, 2012

A former employee of an environmental group critical of a proposed oilsands pipeline says the Prime Minister's Office threatened a funding agency if it didn't pull its support for the group. A spokesman for Prime Minister Stephen Harper denies the allegations.

In a sworn affidavit released Tuesday to The Canadian Press, Andrew Frank says he was told by his supervisor at ForestEthics that a PMO official had referred to their organization as an "enemy of the state." The affidavit describes how staff were told their jobs were at risk after the official told Tides Canada, which supports the work of ForestEthics, that the government would "take down" all of the agency's projects unless it cut ForestEthics loose.

Ontario securities regulator collects less than 1% of fines levied

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Jeff Gray – January 19, 2012

Admittedly, the figures put out this week by the Ontario Securities Commission look bad enough at first glance. Since 2005, the OSC has collected less than 1 per cent of the $73.36-million in fines it has imposed on fraudsters and other rule-breakers after defeating them in contested hearings.

The agency blames the lack of recovered money on the ability of bad guys to hide assets. It points out that it has had success with winning more and longer jail sentences for some offenders lately, and says it extends bans on trading and other activities for deadbeats who don’t pay up.

David Hutton on impunity of white collar criminals in Canada

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David Hutton

CTV News – January 18, 2012

As three former Nortel executives go on trial for alleged fraud, CTV News interviews David Hutton, Executive Director of FAIR, on  on the subject of white collar crime in Canada.

The topics include: is Canada doing enough to combat white collar crime; and what role do whistleblowers play.

Criminal fraud trial of three ex-Nortel executives begins

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Frank Dunn

Michael Lewis – January 7, 2012

One of the most spectacular flameouts in corporate history will be on the docket this week when pre-trial motions begin into criminal charges against former executives at Nortel Networks Corp.

Justice Frank Marrocco is scheduled to preside Thursday over motions, including those by the defence, in an open-court hearing at the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario. A trial before the justice is to begin in Toronto on Jan.16.

Securities sector easy prey for organized crime

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Jim Bronskill – January 10, 2012

The piecemeal nature of current securities oversight in Canada could leave the sector vulnerable to organized crime, a new study warns. The disparate system of market securities and regulatory bodies in Canada also makes it difficult to determine the possible scope of illicit infiltration, says the draft study released under the Access to Information Act.

Still, it identifies several examples of Canadian securities fraud — from illegal market manipulation to so-called Ponzi schemes — and underscores the attractiveness of such activities to sophisticated criminals.

Clean up your act, government tells federal rights tribunal, embattled chair

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Shirish Chotalia

Chris Cobb – January 9, 2012

The troubled Canadian Human Rights Tribunal is expected to provide a harmonious and professional workplace for its employees, the federal government said Monday.

In an email statement to the Citizen, a spokesperson for Justice Minister Rob Nicholson said the minister expects the Tribunal chair Shirish Chotalia to “address issues” that led to two charges of harassing employees being upheld against her.

US whistleblower watchdog quickly raises the profile of her office

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Carolyn Lerner

Lisa Rein – December 25, 2011

Carolyn Lerner had the Air Force’s top four-star general boxed in. Gen. Norton Schwartz was reeling from revelations that the Dover Air Force Base mortuary had lost and sawed off body parts and mishandled other remains of America’s war dead.

In the glare of television cameras, the Air Force chief of staff was forced to issue mea culpas for the scandal in November. Lerner, the newly installed federal lawyer whose tiny office uncovered the gruesome findings, was ready for a fight.

Integrity Commissioner misleads in TV interview

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New federal Integrity Commissioner misleads on CBC TV about his past statement that applying for job while in Interim Commissioner position created conflict for him

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Today, Founding Director of Democracy Watch Duff Conacher, FAIR Executive Director David Hutton and Canadians for Accountability President Allan Cutler refuted a claim made by new federal Integrity Commissioner Mario Dion's on CBC TV's Power and Politics show yesterday.

Dion claimed that he did not say in a meeting last March that he would not apply for the Commissioner job while serving as Interim Commissioner because it would cause a conflict for him as he would be perceived to be trying to please Prime Minister Harper and his Cabinet in order to win the Commissioner position, and that would make whistleblowers less likely to trust him.

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