Conservative hypocrisy on protecting whistleblowers

In 2006 – in the wake of the Liberal Sponsorship Scandal – the newly minted Conservative government introduced the Federal Accountability Act.

Conservatives emphasized how unlike the Liberals their new government would make protecting whistleblowers a priority.

Pierre Poilievre claimed, at the time, that if you were a whistleblower facing retribution because you exposed corruption or wrongdoing the government would now have your back:

“We need in effect a solid deterrent against reprisals.” – P. Poilievre, Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates, Feb 3, 2005

"The plan is to protect all whistleblowers regardless of the approach they take to expose the corruption."
– P. Poilievre, Ottawa Citizen, April 3, 2006

``The public sector must foster an environment in which employees may honestly and open raise concerns without fear or threat of reprisal.''
– P. Poilievre, Canwest News Service, April 17, 2006

“We have worked to protect whistleblowers by passing ironclad protections.”
– P. Poilievre, House of Commons, June 8, 2007

And yet a whistleblower who exposed Conservative misinformation surrounding EI quotas has now been fired. It turns out for the Conservatives, whistleblower protection only meant protecting public servants who expose Liberal wrongdoing and corruption.

Conservatives’ pledge to protect whistleblowers was yet another promise just made to be broken.

Canadians deserve better.