A former whistleblower explains the dangers of Canada’s feeble whistleblowing lawsCanadian laws protecting whistleblowers are generally pushed through in the aftermath of a crisis, but rarely turn out to be effective. (Shutterstock)Ian Bron, Carleton UniversityCanada has had whistleblowing laws since 2007, when the federal government’s Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act (PSDPA) came into force. My own research into dozens of jurisdictions suggests that governments adopt whistleblowing laws largely as a symbolic measure to bolster legitimacy — usually after a crisis. Perhaps even more than other Westminster governments — democratic parliamentary systems of government modelled after the United Kingdom’s — Canadian governments are deeply hierarchical. Furthermore, Canadian governments remain stubbornly resistant to suggestions for improvements to their regimes, instead claiming that all is well.

Source: CBC News August 24, 2022 21:15 UTC