Question Period Note: Whistleblower Protection

What are the ongoing efforts taken by the Government of Canada regarding whistleblower protections?

• The Government is committed to promoting a positive, respectful, and safe public sector culture that is grounded in values and ethics and inspires public trust.
• The Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act protects public servants against reprisals when they report wrongdoing in the workplace.
• In November 2022, a task force was appointed to review this act and identify opportunities to improve the disclosure process. I look forward to receiving their recommendations as soon as possible.

As part of the former Minister’s mandate to take action to improve the government’s whistleblower protections and supports, the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act Review Task Force was created in November 2022. Composed of people who bring significant experience and diverse expertise within the field, the Task Force began its work in January 2023 and is expected to conclude its review with a report on recommendations as soon as possible.

This review considered the work conducted by the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates and the recommendations from its 2017 report, research on the latest developments in whistleblowing in other jurisdictions, current input from stakeholders, a survey accessible to the public sector and members of the general public, as well as views expressed during Parliamentary consideration of Private Members Bill C-290-An Act to amend the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act, introduced by Bloc Québécois MP Jean-Denis Garon in June 2022.

Bill C-290 was introduced to address various aspects of the disclosure process, strengthen whistleblower protections, and to add supports to public servants. The Bill passed third reading in the House of Commons on January 31, 2024, and was referred to the Senate. The Bill was terminated upon the dissolution of Parliament on March 23, 2025. The Bloc Quebecois continued to focus on the need to enhance whistleblower protections in their 2025 platform and may re-introduce similar legislation.

On October 28, 2024, the Annual Report on the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act for 2023-2024 was tabled by the former President of the Treasury Board. It showed that 250 public servants made 266 internal disclosures concerning 425 allegations of wrongdoing. This compares to 152 public servants who made 246 internal disclosures concerning 356 allegations of wrongdoing in 2022–23.

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