Whistleblowers need arms-length protection, says Opposition

A system that has whistleblower reports investigated within the government won't provide the protection necessary for those reporting wrongdoing, say P.E.I.'s Progressive Conservatives.

The Opposition has raised concerns about the role a bill currently being debated in the legislature would give to deputy ministers in the investigation of reports of wrongdoing.

P.C. Leader James Aylward said those concerns were reinforced by the privacy commissioner's report on the government leak of personal information about PNP whistleblowers.

"We had a deputy minister that was involved in this breach, and at the same time that same deputy minister was also responsible for investigating the episode," said Aylward.

"What I see here, with this government bringing in whistleblower legislation that still has the deputy ministers embedded, it just screams to me that they're not really serious about whistleblower protection."

Aylward doesn't believe civil servants will have the confidence to come forward with reports of wrongdoing under the legislation as it now exists.

The Opposition introduced amendments to make the investigations arms-length from government, but those amendments have been voted down.

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