Ombudsmen

Whistleblowers need protection: New Zealand ombudsman

Topics: 
New Zealand, Mining, Ombudsmen, Legislation
Rating: 
0
Pike River mine disaster

Rob Stock – November 25, 2012

New Zealand's underused whistleblower protection act is not working and needs to be reviewed says Chief Ombudsman Dame Beverley Wakem.

There is soul-searching in the Office of the Ombudsman as to why no-one connected to Pike River blew the whistle on the poor safety standards at the mine where 29 people died when methane ignited there in November 2010.

Veterans minister halts privacy breach investigation by vets ombudsman

Topics: 
Veterans Affairs, Ombudsmen, Watchdogs
Rating: 
3

 Murray Brewster – November 9, 2012

An investigation by Canada's veterans ombudsman into a controversial breach of privacy was quietly shut down last year on the instructions of Veterans Affairs Minister Steven Blaney, newly released documents reveal.

Blaney asked the ombudsman to discontinue a probe that his predecessor had ordered in January 2011, after the confidential medical information of veterans advocate Sean Bruyea was spread around the department in an alleged smear campaign.

Watchdog blasts ethics school for manipulating contracts

Topics: 
Government ethics, Ombudsmen, Procurement process
Rating: 
3

Dean Beeby – July 5, 2012

A federal watchdog has blown the whistle on a series of cooked contracts at a government agency that teaches ethics to public servants. The blistering findings mark the second time in less than a year that Canada’s procurement ombudsman has discovered bureaucrats carefully tailoring contract requirements to get the suppliers they prefer.

The latest case involves a dozen training contracts — together worth $170,000 — awarded by the Canada School of Public Service between 2009 and 2011. Ombudsman Frank Brunetta found that the school split contract amounts and generally stacked the deck so that a retired public servant who was already collecting a pension could get all the work.

Whistle blown on Manitoba law

Topics: 
Legislation, Ombudsmen, Manitoba, Watchdogs
Rating: 
0

Editorial – June 18, 2012

The introduction of whistleblower legislation in various jurisdictions has been met with some scepticism. Can legislation really protect those who call out a boss or co-worker even when wrongdoing is proven? The Manitoba Ombudsman's investigation into alleged misuse of public funds at the Assiniboine Community College shows some of those concerns are valid.

Ultimately, the process worked, in a manner. The ombudsman's investigation confirmed reason to suspect financial mismanagement -- three employees alleged another had been buying goods for personal use. The employee and an individual who had conducted an internal audit, which did not find wrongdoing, are no longer working at the college.

Military ombudsman rebuts complaints of delays, dysfunction in his office

Topics: 
National Defence, Watchdogs, Ombudsmen
Rating: 
3
Pierre Daigle

David Pugliese – May 18, 2012

Canada’s embattled military ombudsman says he welcomes the investigation into his office ordered by Defence Minister Peter MacKay after former and current employees complained the organization has become dysfunctional, with questions raised about travel expenses, sexist jokes and whether issues raised by soldiers were being dealt with properly.

Pierre Daigle, a retired major general, will not step aside as the assessment of his office is done and intends to continue on with his role as ombudsman.

Police ignore letters of concern from watchdog

Topics: 
Policing, Watchdogs, Ombudsmen, Ontario
Rating: 
0

Mark Brownlee – April 23, 2012

It’s “troublesome” that Ottawa police only respond to a fraction of the letters Ontario’s oversight body sends outlining concerns about investigations into officers’ misconduct, said the provincial government’s chief watchdog Sunday.

Ontario ombudsman André Marin, who investigates complaints from the public with an eye to changing how government operates, first detailed the concerns in a report released in December 2011.

Courts stepping up for aggrieved investors

Topics: 
White-collar crime, Financial industry, Ombudsmen
Rating: 
4

Barrie McKenna – February 26, 2012

Douglas Melville is an essential cog in the regime that shields millions of Canadian investors from abuse by financial institutions. The Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments can secure compensation if you lose money due to bad advice, mistakes or unfair treatment.

But the process falls short of “access to justice” for aggrieved investors, as Ontario Superior Court Justice Bryan Shaughnessy pointed out in a recent decision.

Yukon ombudsman out; no explanation provided

Topics: 
Appointments process, Ombudsmen, Provinces & territories, Yukon
Rating: 
0

Ashley Joannou – February 2, 2012

The territory’s ombudsman says she wasn’t given any explanation for why her position was not renewed. That has the NDP accusing the government of attempting to stifle independent oversight.

In a statement released Wednesday, Tracy-Anne McPhee, whose term as ombudsman and information and privacy commissioner expires this April, said she is disappointed with the decision.

N.S. bureaucrats made 26 allegations of wrongdoing

Topics: 
Watchdogs, Ombudsmen
Rating: 
3
Dwight Bishop

The Canadian Press – November 24, 2011

Whistleblowing civil servants in Nova Scotia filed 26 allegations of government wrongdoing with the province's ombudsman in the past year, including accusations of kickbacks, unsafe working conditions and abuse of authority.

But ombudsman Dwight Bishop said Thursday he wouldn't release any details about the allegations, citing the need for confidentiality in the Ombudsman Act. The allegations were disclosed to him under the province's Civil Service Disclosure of Wrongdoing regulations.

TD bank exits national ombudsman

Topics: 
Financial industry, Ombudsmen
Rating: 
3

Theresa Tedesco – October 27, 2011

Toronto-Dominion Bank will no longer resolve disputes with aggrieved bank clients through the Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments (OBSI).

Effective Nov. 1, all new cases involving TD's personal and commercial banking customers in Canada will be handled through ADR Chambers Banking Ombuds Office (ADRBO), the bank announced Wednesday. ADRBO, a privately operated mediator, will provide independent services to banking customers who do not agree with the responses and recommendations made by TD's internal ombudsman.

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