FAIR Newsletter

FAIR kicked off whistleblower watchdog's advisory committee

The past few weeks have been eventful, with a ruling handed down by a federal judge harshly criticizing the handling of one of the Integrity Commissioner's cases; an article in the Ottawa Citizen about this; and a letter to the editor from FAIR published in the Citizen, explaining that the judge's ruling mirrors the frustrations experienced by many whistleblowers.

Now Mr. Dion has ordered FAIR off the Advisory Committee – for wrting that letter. The news release below, from Democracy Watch and Canadians for Accountability, tells the story.

TI Anti-Corruption Conference In Toronto

Transparency International Canada Inc.
with sponsorship from Bennett Jones LLP and Deloitte & Touche LLP presents:

Spotlight on Anti-Corruption: Current Issues Day of Dialogue
Thursday, May 12, 2011, 08:00 – 16:15  
Bennett Jones, 1 First Canadian Place, #3400, Toronto

This Day of Dialogue is composed of twelve Roundtable Sessions, in four groups, on hot anti-corruption issues facing Canadians, today.  Chaired by TI-Canada Board Members, each session will feature 4 – 6 Discussion Leaders, who will share their thoughts, followed by dialogue with the broader Roundtable audience.

FAIR publishes damning critique of federal whistleblower protection law

February 24, 2011

At a press conference today an alliance of more than 30 accountability organizations called for urgent reforms to the whistleblower legislation that provided the mandate of now-disgraced former Integrity Commissioner Christiane Ouimet’s office stating:

“The collapse of the government’s whistleblower protection system was not only due to the former commissioner’s egregious misconduct: she was aided and abetted by deeply flawed legislation that gave her far too much discretion to turn people away and ensured that most whistleblower cases would be rejected.”

Aviation Safety Advocate Kirsten Stevens Steps Down

David Hutton – November 17, 2010

It was with great regret that we learned recently that one of Canada’s leading citizen advocates for aviation safety, Kirsten Stevens, is stepping down from this work indefinitely for health reasons.

Following the tragic death of her husband in a floatplane crash in 2005, Kirsten began meticulously researching the air taxi/floatplane industry in an effort to understand what happened and to achieve closure. What she learned – and the abject failure of the authorities to provide answers or even to fulfill their responsibilities – transformed her into a committed advocate for improved aviation safety.

FAIR Press Release: The Gualtieri Case Is Settled

Joanna Gualtieri

April 5, 2010 – For immediate release

OTTAWA – FAIR has been able to confirm that Joanna Gualtieri’s lawsuit against Foreign Affairs officials for harassment has been settled. Ms. Gualtieri would not provide any other information or comment.

David Kilgour, a member of FAIR’s advisory board commented “This is wonderful news. I am thrilled for Joanna, and so will be all the friends who have supported her throughout this ordeal.”

David Hutton, Executive Director of FAIR said “This is a very important development in an important case. We are still digesting the news. I’m certain that we will have more to say about the implications for other Canadian whistleblowers.”

UK Celebrates 10 Years Of Whistleblower Protection

FAIR offers sincere congratulations to our sister organization in the UK, Public Concern At Work (PCAW) on what it has accomplished since its foundation in 1993. Thanks to PCAW’s efforts the UK has had strong, well-designed whistleblower protection legislation in place for more than 10 years.

PCAW recently issued a comprehensive report Where's Whistleblowing Now? which examines the progress made over the past decade and provides a wealth of information. The report paints a picture of a system that is generally working fairly well to ensure that whistleblowers are protected and to help them obtain appropriate remedies if they suffer reprisals.

Niagara Whistleblower Joins FAIR Advisory Board

Media Release

OTTAWA, March 10, 2010 – The Federal Accountability Initiative for Reform (FAIR), Canada's whistleblower charity, is pleased to announce the appointment of Niagara Parks Commission whistleblower Bob Gale to its Advisory Board.

"I'm proud to be a part of what FAIR is trying to accomplish." said Gale. "Employees are often the first to know about wrongdoing that threatens the public interest, but in Canada, as I found out, there is little to protect them if they speak out. We need to correct this absurd situation and I'm confident that we will."

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