On November 29, 2022 Treasury Board President Mona Fortier announced the appointment of an expert panel to review the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act (PSDPA).
PIPSC welcomes the review and has long called for improvements to the existing legislation. We had previously submitted our comments on updating the PSDPA to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates in February 2017 - it has certainly taken a great deal of time for the government to move forward on this critical matter.
Canadians rely on the services provided daily by our members to make their lives safer, healthier and more prosperous. While rare, the disclosure of wrongdoing must also be considered a service to our fellow citizens. When a public service professional has tried every other avenue to resolve a significant problem, only to have their concerns dismissed by higher-level authorities, they are acting with integrity, honesty and in line with their dedication to protecting and serving the public good.
Sadly, for many of our members, whistleblowing has also meant endangering or sacrificing their career for the sake of the public interest. It shouldn't be that way. We need to ensure insurmountable barriers are not put in the way of these courageous and ethical public service professionals.
We are also very proud that PIPSC Director of Labour Relations David Yazbeck has been appointed to the panel. David brings decades of labour law experience and an in-depth knowledge of the issues to the table and we are very pleased that he has been recognized as a true subject matter expert by the government.
We look forward to engaging with the panel to review the legislation towards the implementation of recommendations that will not only protect whistleblowers when they come forward, but the interests of the Canadian public at large.