Protection bill for public-sector whistleblowers tabled in Quebec

Bill would offer anonymity and job protection to public sector employees but doesn’t cover private sector.

The Quebec government has tabled a bill aimed at making it easier for whistleblowers in Quebec’s public sector to come forward and report wrongdoing.

Bill 87 would protect the identity and job of any state employee or former employee who denounce wrongdoing to the Ombudsman or an official to be appointed within each organization.

In cases where the health, safety or the environment are threatened, a state employee may disclose necessary information to the media.

The bill defines wrongdoing as an illegal act, the misuse of funds, a serious breach of ethics, an act or omission that compromises health or safety and gross mismanagement.

The Bill prohibits, fines, retaliation against a whistleblower or collaborating in an audit or an investigation following a disclosure.

Unfortunately the bill does not go far enough because it does not protect whistleblowers from within the private sector as the Charbonneau Commission report recommended.

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Sources: CBC News,   Le Huffington Post