PSDPT

Whistleblower Tribunal finally swings into action: but will it perform?

Topics: 
PSDPA, Legislation, PSDPT
Rating: 
5

David Hutton – June 20, 2011

For Canadian public servants May 16 was an historic day: that’s when the tribunal that’s supposed to protect government whistleblowers was finally launched into action – triggered by a referral from the integrity commissioner’s office.

The Public Servants Disclosure Protection Tribunal is the only body in Canada that has the power to order a remedy for whistleblowers and to sanction the aggressors. It will now examine the allegations sent to it by the integrity commissioner, hear evidence from both sides, and hand down its decisions.

Four years on, federal whistleblower tribunal set to hear first case

Topics: 
PSIC, Integrity Commissioner, PSDPT
Rating: 
5
Christiane Ouimet

Amy Minsky – June 10, 2011

A little-known federal tribunal set up four years ago is finally handling its first case. The Public Servants Disclosure Protection Tribunal (PSDPT) was created to help protect public servants from retaliation if they blew the whistle on immoral or illegal activities in government.

But until recently the tribunal, which has had access to more than $9 million in taxpayer money, hadn’t seen a single case. It’s not necessarily because the tribunal, an offshoot of the Office of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner wasn’t ready. It’s that former public sector integrity commissioner Christiane Ouimet never referred a single case to it.

CBC News: The Tribunal That Couldn't – whistleblower panel idle for 3 years

Topics: 
Integrity Commissioner, PSDPA, Legislation, PSDPT
Rating: 
0

October 21, 2010

CTV Ottawa News Evan Dyer

Whistleblower panel waited for three years with nothing to do

CBC News reporter Evan Dyer takes a look at the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Tribunal, a special panel set up to adjudicate whistleblowers' complaints of reprisal. The Tribunal has an annual budget of $1.8 million and about seven permanent staff but has never sat.

This is because the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner, the watchdog created to protect government whistleblowers, has never referred a case to it.

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