NEWS RELEASE

October 15, 2004                                                            For Immediate Release

BREITKREUZ FINDS SERIOUS SHORTCOMINGS IN WHISTLEBLOWER ACT

“I have filed 496 access to information requests.  They come back with more blanks than information.”

Yorkton – Yesterday, Garry Breitkreuz, MP for Yorkton-Melville, exposed some of the more serious flaws in the Liberal government’s Whistleblower Protection Act or as it is called in Liberal-Speak: Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act (Bill C-11).  Breitkreuz accused the Liberals of creating a “culture of corruption” in government.  “This is a plague on taxpayers. It is a plague on Canada. It is a plague on democracy. That is why this bill could become a very important piece of legislation if it is amended to ensure that it truly becomes whistleblower legislation and protects those people in the public service, in crown corporations and in the RCMP,” explained Breitkreuz.

“I was first elected to the House of Commons in 1993. I thought when I came here we would get the information that we need to do our job. I have become disillusioned. I was wrong. The government has done its best, or in this case its worst, to keep me and every member of this opposition in the dark,” protested Breitkreuz.  “In the past 11 years, I have filed 496 access to information requests.  They come back and there are more blanks than there is information.  Information has been hidden from me and by extension all Canadians.  Why?  Because government is covering up some of the serious problems that exist behind the scenes.  I believe public servants are afraid to give me the documents I am requesting. They are afraid they might be fired, demoted, red circled, or punished in some other way if they release documents that are an embarrassment to their minister. That is not right.  We need to do the opposite. We need to encourage public servants to share the truth with members of Parliament. A good bill to protect whistleblowers would go a long way in alleviating the fears of public servants,” predicted Breitkreuz.

During his speech, Breitkreuz called on Parliament to amend the Whistleblower Protection Act so that public servants report wrongdoings to an independent commissioner – not their supervisors; and that the bill be expanded to also include public servants working for Crown corporations and the RCMP.

Breitkreuz concluded, “We must create a truly independent body to receive and investigate the disclosures of wrongdoing by all public servants, either publicly or through formal channels. The bill falls short of that, and we need to fix it so it will be effective. It is a good idea but, in its present form, unacceptable.”

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