B.C. Election: Which Parties Will Protect Whistleblowers?
B.C., NDP, and Greens protect them, Liberals leave them in the cold
Joseph Keller, Web Editor
Issues like housing affordability and environmental protection have rightfully come to the forefront of this provincial election, but how has each party committed to protecting those who watch for and expose the government’s ethical shortcomings?
It’s troubling that, even in a country like Canada, whistleblowers often pay a price for speaking out when they catch their employers breaking the law. Canada’s whistleblower laws have been criticized for failing to offer real protection, with many people losing their jobs and facing legal consequences for speaking out.
Most of the major parties have now made some kind of commitment to protecting whistleblowers, including the Green Party. Last year, the Greens proposed a new set of rules for industry to protect the environment featuring provisions to strengthen protections for those speaking out against corruption.
The B.C. NDP has also made promises in their platform for democratic reforms that would include whistleblower protections, and has recently backed up these promises with the introduction of the Whistleblower Protection Act. The stated purpose of the legislation is “to facilitate the disclosure and investigation of significant and serious matters in or relating to the public service, that are potentially unlawful, dangerous to the public or injurious to the public and to protect persons who make those disclosures.”
The act lays out procedures for whistleblowing and states that, as long as the procedures have been followed, no person can attempt reprisal against the whistleblower.
There is no mention of whistleblower protections in the 2017 B.C. Liberal Party platform. This is a concerning aspect of the platform from a party that has been bogged down by several scandals brought to light by whistleblowers.
The fact that the other major parties in this election have made a point to strengthen protection for whistleblowers while the incumbent party has chosen to do nothing and remain silent on the issue is something that should register with voters as they head to the polls.
