Question Period Note: SAFEGUARDING PROTECTED INFORMATION AT CRA

How does the CRA guard against the distribution of protected information? What options do employees have for expressing concerns?

• The vast majority of Canadians are honest and law abiding. Unfortunately, there are those few who believe they are above the rules of society.

• For that reason, the CRA has strong safeguards in place to catch this small percentage of fraudsters who willfully submit false claims in order to steal funds from the collective purse. The CRA thoroughly pursues issues related to potential fraud and have dedicated teams to promptly address these matters when they arise.

• The CRA does not comment on ongoing investigations so as not to compromise the integrity of those investigations.

• The CRA is fully committed to protecting the integrity of the tax system for the benefit of Canadian taxpayers. This includes safeguarding protected information which would be beneficial to fraudsters.

• The CRA takes its responsibility to prevent any harmful distribution of protected information seriously and it is dedicated to upholding the integrity of the tax system.

• At all times, the CRA is focused on ensuring that all employees adhere to their duty of loyalty and confidentiality to the CRA, the Government of Canada, and all Canadians.

• Like any organization, the CRA makes it clear to employees that only designated spokespersons can speak on behalf of the CRA, a point which was reiterated in a recent memo to employees.

• Employees have several options for expressing concerns they see in the workplace, some of which offer anonymity:
  • To a manager or supervisor
  • To the CRA’s Internal Affairs Division
  • To the CRA Anonymous Reporting Line
  • To the CRA’s Internal Disclosures Office
  • Directly to the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner

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