EDMONTON – Alberta government workers, teachers, doctors, and nurses are among thousands who will soon be able to flag wrongdoing and be protected from reprisal under new legislation.
However the rules on how exactly they will have their concerns heard and their confidentiality protected still have to be hashed out by government and the organizations concerned.
Premier Alison Redford’s government has introduced into the legislature the Public Interest Disclosure Act.
The bill will be the framework for whistleblower legislation similar to rules in place in other provinces and the federal government.
A new independent legislature office will be created and called the Public Interest Disclosure Commissioner. The individual will be appointed by the Assembly, but will be independent of it to investigate complaints.
The Commissioner will only be required to report on findings once a year, but will be able to report more frequently if he or she wants.
The Opposition, however, says the new Whistleblower Act doesn’t have enough teeth. They argue that complainants should feel comfortable bringing complaint to anyone, not just one avenue.
Liberal MLA David Swann, whose political career started after blowing a whistle, says the Act as it stands wouldn’t have protected him.
The plan is for the bill to pass in the current legislature sitting and become law in seven months, on June 1, 2013.
With files from Vassy Kapelos, Global News
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